The Ultimate Battle
by MultiplePersonas
Summary: Ash comes to a town on the rumor of a badge that grants lifetime acceptance into any Pokemon League. DOES HE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN IT? READ AND FIND OUT! I SUCK AT SUMMARIES, BUT THE STORY'S SOLID, I PROMISE!
1. Chapter 1

(WELL, HERE IT IS, MY SECOND FIC EVER, AND MY FIRST POKEMON FIC. This one's been going through my head almost as long as my Teen Titans fic, and has undergone nearly as many changes. TO CELEBRATE, I EVEN HIRED A NARRATOR. TAKE IT AWAY!)

_We meet our young heroes as they arrive in the sleepy little burg of Taupe Town, a tiny community at the far edge of Kanto. Why? Even I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out soon, as yet another adventure unfolds in the World of Pokemon!_

The Ultimate Battle

Chapter One: An Amazing Rumor! Battle in Taupe Town!

NOW AND FUTURE DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN POKEMON IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, and the characters "Michael" and "Claire" are owned by MichaelDJ54 and BlueBlossomGurl and used (HOWEVER DIFFERENTLY) with their permission.

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"Well, this is the place." Max said, looking up from his Pokenav, a sort of GPS. "Taupe Town, Kanto."

"Not much to see." May commented. She was right. This was one of, if not the smallest town they'd been to, and had very little scenery: Nothing but a bunch of small houses and shops, with the exception of a Pokemon Center down the road.

"All right, Ash, 'fess up!" May demanded, turning to the Pokemon Master-wannabe. "Why'd you insist that we come to this dump?"

Ash turned to Pikachu, his yellow electric mouse Pokemon currently riding on his shoulder. "Should we tell 'em, buddy?" he asked.

_"Chu!"_ it replied, nodding its head.

"'Kay," Ash sighed, turning to the others. "Ya see, right as we were leaving the Battle Pyramid…"

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Flashback…

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"Ash, wait!" Brandon called as Ash, May, Max, and Brock began to walk out. "I want to speak with you. Alone." He added, staring at May, Max, and Brock. They looked at Ash quizzically, but filed out afterward.

Ash raised an eyebrow, but walked over to Brandon anyway. "What is it?" he asked, staring up at the Frontier Brain. The Pyramid King was a tall, robust man with a gruff attitude that tended to make people slightly nervous around him.

"You did an excellent job in that last battle, Ash." Brandon told him.

"Thanks," Ash replied, turning toward the door. "Now, I really should—."

"Which is why I wanted to let you in on a secret." Brandon continued.

Ash and Pikachu turned back toward him. "What is it?" Ash asked excitedly.

"There's been a rumor going around between Frontier Brains and Elite Four members," Brandon said. "One that we've been forbidden to tell to all but the most talented trainers, and since you conquered the Battle Frontier, I'd say you qualify, Ash."

"Thanks," Ash repeated. "Now what's the big secret?"

"You must promise not to tell anyone." The Pyramid King said. "We cannot allow this to get out."

"I promise!" Ash exclaimed as he and Pikachu raised their hands in an oath. "Now can you tell me?"

"Very well," Brandon said with a nod. "You see, the rumor speaks of an amazing Pokemon gym, with a gym leader who is supposed to be impossible to beat. Not only that, they also say the gym battle tests trainers, and proves whether or not they are destined for greatness."

"Destined for greatness?" Ash interrupted. "How can you test for _that_?"

"I'm not sure," Brandon replied, stone-faced as ever. "But they say if a trainer passes, the gym leader grants them the Master Badge, which, according to the rumor, grants lifetime clearance into any Pokemon League, no matter what branch.

"At least, that's how the rumor goes."

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "I gotta get _that_ badge! Where's this gym supposed to be?"

"About 25 miles east from here," Brandon informed him. "A place called 'Taupe Town'. That's why I stayed to let you challenge me one more time: I wanted you to be closer to it. But again, the gym is just a rumor."

"Well, I'm gonna check it out!" Ash exclaimed. "And I'm gonna get that badge!"

"_Chu!" _Pikachu agreed.

Brandon nodded. "Good luck." He said with a smile.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

End Flashback…

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"So you dragged us 25 miles out of our way for a gym that _might_ exist!?" May screeched.

"Well," Ash said, sweatdropping. "It _could_ be here."

"Look around you!" May yelled. "Do you see anything that looks even remotely like a Pokemon gym?"

"You never know." Brock commented. "We've been to hidden battlefields before. If the payoff for winning is this great, the gym leader'd probably wanna keep things a secret."

"Then how're we supposed to find it?" Max asked.

"Guess we'll have to ask around." Ash concluded. "Maybe we can find a clue at the Pokemon Center."

"Or at least this town's Nurse Joy!" Brock said excitedly as he and Ash ran for the Poke-hospital.

"Hey, wait up!" May and Max yelled, running after them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"It's…bigger than usual." May commented, staring at the exterior of the building. She was right again. Most Pokemon Centers were ranch-style, but this one had two stories. It was also longer and wider than most, though it still had the usual "P" logo on the door.

"Well, let's go get some answers." Ash said, pushing open the door. A bell above the door tinkled and the group walked in.

Ash surveyed the interior of the Center. It looked pretty much like any other from the inside. Across the room there was a green counter with a door behind it leading to the operating room where Nurse Joy probably was. There was a line of videophones and Pokeball transporters on the right wall, and some comfy-looking chairs by the the left wall, as well as a door to a room full of bunk beds for trainers who needed to spend the night. In fact, other than the staircase in the back-left corner, the only thing out of the ordinary was a statue of a rotund, pink Pokemon with a nurse's hat on and an egg in the pouch on its stomach in the back-right corner of the center. It was a Chansey, a kindly Pokemon that often worked as a nurse in Centers.

"Nice statue," Max said, walking over to it and reaching out his hand.

"Please don't touch that." Said a gentle voice behind him. "It's very delicate."

It was Nurse Joy, of course—one of the many brown-eyed, redheaded nurses working in every Pokemon Center ever constructed, and she was with a real Chansey, which was currently holding a tray of six Pokeballs.

"I'll be with you in a moment." The Joy grinned before turning toward the stairs and announcing "Claire, we're finished!"

"Coming!" a female voice said from the top of the staircase. At once, a girl about Joy's age with long brown hair and glasses ran down the steps and over to the counter. "Thanks, sis." She said, placing the Pokeballs on her belt.

"Sis?" Ash and May repeated, raising their eyebrows.

"What, you think every girl in my family's a redheaded nurse?" she laughed. "C'mon, that'd be _weird_!"

"Nurses of not," Brock announced, his squinty eyes bulging into big pink hearts. "Your mere appearance has stopped my heart and left me breathless! Perhaps one of you could talk about your career choices over dinner sometime?"

Max was about to do his self-appointed job of pulling Brock away by the ear when another voice rang out from the stairs, this one male.

"Who are you and why are you hitting on my girlfriend?" it asked. Despite what he said, he sounded cheerful.

"G-girlfriend!?" Brock stammered, his heart-eyes shattering and returning to his squinty ones as he slumped to the floor, depressed.

"That's right." The brown-haired girl said before turning toward the stairs. "Mikey, come on down! We have guests!"

"I figured." The voice replied. "I'll be right down."

At once, a tall, well-built man with a round face, short brown hair and glasses walked down the stairs and over to the counter. "Welcome to Taupe Town!" he announced. "I'm Michael, and this is my girlfriend, Claire, and her sister, Alex."

"Alex?" Ash and May echoed.

"'Joy' is a surname." Alex informed them. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town." Said Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town. "And this is May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu." He said, pointing to each of his friends in turn.

"Pallet Town?" Claire repeated. "That's pretty far away. What brings you down here?"

"Can't have been the scenery." Michael joked.

"Actually," Brock explained. "My friend here was told of a gym in this town. Is there one?"

Michael laughed out loud. "I can honestly say there's no gym on this barren wasteland of a town." He told them.

"Who told you there was?" Alex inquired.

"Brandon," Max responded. "But he _did_ say it was just a rumor."

"The Pyramid King?" Claire asked.

"Yeah," Ash replied. "But I guess he was wrong."

"So we walked all this way for nothing?" May asked.

"Maybe not," Michael said. "Did you beat Brandon?"

"Yep," Ash said proudly. "I beat all the Frontier Brains."

Ash pulled out his Symbol case and opened it to show off the seven gold Symbols inside.

"A Frontier champion!" Michael laughed, slapping Ash on the back. "Don't see that often, especially in this ghost town! Hey, whaddya say to a battle, just so the trip here ain't a total waste?"

"A battle?" Ash repeated. "You're on!"

"My Mikey battling a Frontier champion?" Claire said, grinning. "This I've _gotta_ see!"

"C'mon outside, then." Michael said, opening the door.

He didn't have to tell anyone twice. Ash, May, Max, Brock, Claire, Alex, Pikachu, and even Chansey ran out into the empty dirt road in front of the Center, and Michael walked out shortly after. "How about a one-on-one match?" he asked as the crowd spaced out to allow room for the battle.

"Sounds good!" Ash said, staring his opponent down. "I'll even choose first: Go, Pikachu!"

"_Pika!_" Pikachu yelled, jumping in front of Ash.

"What's your choice?" Ash asked.

Michael didn't say anything. He just put two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud, shrill whistle.

"I knew he'd use that one." Alex commented.

"Which one?" Max asked, looking around.

"Give it a minute," Claire replied. "You'll see."

Sure enough, a moment later, something ran through a large pet flap at the bottom of the Center's door that the heroes hadn't noticed until now and sprinted up in front of Michael. It was between two and three feet tall, orange with black paws and yellow cheeks, and had a long, skinny black tail with a lightning bolt shape at the end. Other than that, it looked a lot like Pikachu. "_Rai._" It said, in a deeper voice than Pikachu's.

"This'll be my Pokemon." Michael announced.

"A Raichu!?" Max exclaimed.

"Raichu?" May repeated, taking out her Pokedex (a sort of portable Pokemon database) and opening it to scan.

**"Raichu," **the Pokedex said, displaying a picture of the orange mouse Pokemon. **"The evolved form of Pikachu. It is capable of delivering electric shocks of over 100,000 volts, enough to render a Dragonite unconscious."**

"Ash, be careful!" Brock warned. "That Raichu looks really well-trained!"

"Thanks!" Michael said before turning to Raichu. "Ready, bud?" he asked.

_"Raichu!"_ it said with a nod.

"Then let's go!" Michael grinned.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu clenched its cheek muscles and shot a powerful yellow blast of electricity at Raichu.

"Raichu, stand your ground!" Michael ordered. Raichu nodded and stood its ground as the attack hit it head-on. When the attack faded, though, Raichu wasn't even fazed.

"All right, Raichu," Michael grinned. "Now show 'em _your_ Thunderbolt!"

_"Rai!"_ Raichu nodded before jamming the tip of its tail into the road and mimicking Pikachu's last move and sending a blue blast of electricity right back at Pikachu, hitting it dead-on.

Pikachu seemed to have taken a lot more damage than Raichu. It was scratched and charred from the attack.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

_"Chu." _It replied with a nod.

"Then use Quick Attack!" he shouted.

Pikachu nodded and ran ahead on all fours, leaving a white streak of light behind it.

"Dodge and counterattack with _your_ Quick Attack!" Michael yelled.

Raichu mimicked Pikachu's move, moving full speed ahead, but as it and Pikachu were about to collide, Raichu zipped out of the way and rammed Pikachu from the side, leaving Pikachu dusty and tired.

"Now give it another Thunderbolt!" Michael commanded.

_"Raichu." _Raichu said with a nod before sticking its tail in the ground and squeezing its cheeks again to send another blue blast of electricity right at Pikachu, causing all the spectators to wince as Pikachu took serious damage.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Ash ordered.

_"Pika!"_ Pikachu said with a tone of pure determination as it got to its feet and charged at Raichu, a yellow aura enveloping its body as it did so.

"Volt Tackle, eh?" Michael said. "Not bad. Raichu, dodge with Quick Attack!"

Raichu sprinted out of the way just in time as Pikachu rammed into the wall behind it. Pikachu's aura faded, and Pikachu looked _very _tired.

"Volt Tackle's an awesome attack, Ash," Michael told him. "But only when used correctly. Now, Raichu," he said, turning to Raichu. "Finish this with Thunder!"

_"Rai."_ Raichu nodded as it stuck its tail in the ground and squeezed its cheeks.

Then Ash noticed something. "Pikachu," he yelled. "Use Quick Attack to grab its tail!"

_"Chu!"_ Pikachu yelled before sprinting over and yanking Raichu's tail out of the ground.

Raichu's Thunder missed just as planned, as it hit where Pikachu was a second ago, but somehow Pikachu was still surrounded by a blue light and howling in agony before the light faded and Pikachu slumped to the ground with swirls for eyes, not moving.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" Alex said, imitating an official judge. "Victory goes to Michael and Raichu!"

"Nice one, Mikey!" Claire said, running over and kissing Michael.

"But how—?" Ash gaped, staring at Pikachu.

"Did Raichu shock Pikachu?" Michael finished when he and Claire were done. "Well, I'll bet you thought when Raichu stuck its tail in the ground it was part of the attack, right?" Ash nodded. "Actually," he continued. "Raichu's just overcharged today."

Seeing the look on the visitors' faces, Claire added "As any Pokedex'll tell you, when Raichu become overcharged they diffuse energy into the ground via their tails."

"So it was just doing that to avoid shocking itself!" Max realized.

"Exactly," Claire replied. "And when Pikachu grabbed it and didn't know what would happen, it _really_ got a shock, pun intended."

"It was a good idea, Ash." Michael said. "Disrupting an opponent's attack pattern is a great way to win. You just need to know the opponent better."

"Well," Alex announced. "Let's get Pikachu some help. Chansey, be a dear and grab Pikachu, would you?"

_"Chansey."_ Chansey said as it came over, picked up the unconscious Pikachu and waddled back into the Pokemon Center with everyone following close behind.

"Pikachu'll be okay, right?" May asked as they entered the Poke-hospital.

"Of course," Alex told her as she walked toward the back room. "It just needs to be revitalized and recharged. It's a simple procedure. Pikachu will be in and out in a few minutes."

Ash sighed in relief as Alex and Chansey disappeared into the back room.

"So tell me, Ash," Michael requested as everyone took a seat around the room. "Why travel this far for a gym on a rumor? There are plenty of gyms in the Kanto region that're, oh, _real_!"

"Not with this kind of pri—mmph!" Max exclaimed before Brock put a hand over his mouth.

"We're not supposed to tell, remember?" Brock hissed. Max nodded in response, and Brock slowly lowered his hand.

"I'm sorry," Ash apologized. "Brandon told me to keep it a secret."

"Let me guess," Claire said. "You heard the gym gives a badge that lets you into any Pokemon League?"

"How'd you know?" Brock gasped, earning him a glare from Max.

"You're not the first trainers to catch wind of that rumor." Michael said, him and Raichu closing their eyes and nodding in unison. "Though I've gotta admire your trustworthiness. Others tend to repeat this rumor to me as soon as I ask."

"Thanks." Ash told him.

"Another question, though." Claire said. "What is it you want out of entering Pokemon Leagues? The fame? The prizes?"

"I don't really care about those." Ash answered. "I just wanna get stronger and win. My dream is to be the greatest Pokemon Master ever!"

"An admirable dream," Alex said, emerging from the back room with Chansey, who was holding Pikachu. "I hope it comes true someday."

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "You're okay!"

_"Pika!"_ it said, leaping out of the egg Pokemon's arms and onto Ash's shoulder.

"It's the Pika-picture of health," Alex said with a smile. "Though I'd advise against battling for the rest of the day."

"Speaking of battles," Michael said. "I really enjoyed ours. Maybe we could have another one tomorrow?" Then he and Raichu smiled as he added "In the gym?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_So, it looks like Ash'll get his gym battle, after all. Will it be easy? Will it be difficult? Probably the second one. Find out in the next installment!_

(WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK? Feel free to tell me in long, flame-less reviews! 'Til next time!)


	2. A Perfect Defense? The Battle Begins

(Did ya like my first chapter? If so, great! If not, TOO BAD, 'CUZ I'M GONNA KEEP WRITIN' THIS STORY! Now, where'd we leave off? I think the narrator I hired can say it better than I can; BESIDES, HE'S ON THE CLOCK AND OTHERWISE I'D BE PAYING HIM JUST TO STAND THERE. TAKE IT AWAY!)

_In our last chapter, Ash and company arrived in Taupe Town, which, according to rumor, holds a Pokemon gym that grants a badge allowing permanent entry to any Pokemon League. Upon reaching their destination, they met Alex, the local Nurse Joy, Claire, Alex's sister, and Michael, Claire's boyfriend. Upon hearing of Ash's Frontier champion status, Michael requested a battle, and proceeded to have his Raichu beat Pikachu into the ground. However, when talking to Ash later, he requested another battle—in the gym!_

(Very nice summary. NOW LET'S GET STARTED.)

The Ultimate Battle

Chapter Two: A Perfect Defense!? The Battle Begins

"The gym!?" May, Max, Brock, and Ash exclaimed.

"But you clearly said 'there is no gym on this barren wasteland of a town'!" Max argued.

"And he's right." Claire told him.

"Then how—?"

"You'll understand when I show you." Michael said calmly. "The battle will begin tomorrow. I can't tell you much right now, but I will tell you it'll be a six-on-six match, so I suggest you select six strong Pokemon you really trust."

"For now, though," Claire told them. "You're welcome to spend the night."

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_Little do our heroes know that at this exact moment they are being watched. Three notorious thieves from the infamous Team Rocket are listening just outside the window. They are: Jessie, a long, maroon-haired girl with a knack for coming up with ingenious plans, James, a blue-haired boy whose skills in battle are unmatched, and Meowth, the talking Scratch Cat Pokemon with wits as sharp as his cla—wait, who wrote this? _(Meowth looks up from keyboard before being tackled to the ground by MultiplePersonas) _That's it! I'm going on my break!_

"So," Jessie said. "The gym is real."

"With plenty of Pokemon to steal." James added.

"Da betta ta earn our daily meal." Meowth rhymed.

"So, what's the plan, Jess?" James asked. "The typical giant robot maneuver?"

"As if!" Jessie said. "Need I remind you we're tapped out? Besides, if every one of that Michael's Pokemon is as strong as that Raichu, even a robot will be helpless!"

At her words, a Pokeball on her belt opened and Wobbuffet, her irritating blue blob Pokemon, popped out. _"Wob-buffet!"_ it said, putting its hand to its forehead and nodding in agreement.

Jessie sighed and held up its Pokeball. "I said 'helpless', not 'hopeless'." She said as she recalled it.

"So, whaddya suggest we do?" Meowth asked.

"Yeah," James added, his previously released Mime, jr. (a small, cute Clown Pokemon) imitating him as he did so. "This is the chance of a lifetime!"

"Then we'll just have to be sneaky, like always!" Jessie snapped. "Come tomorrow, they won't know what hit them!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ash sighed as he stared at the blank videophone. Dinner had been hours ago, and afterward everybody had turned in early. May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu were all asleep in the bunk beds in the next room, and Michael, Claire, Alex, Chansey, and Raichu had retired to their rooms on the upper level. Ash, meanwhile, had decided to make a few calls and select his team for tomorrow's battle. So far, it wasn't going well.

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Flashback…

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"Hello?" a blue-haired girl who seemed to be in her early twenties said with a yawn as she stared into her videophone.

"Hey ,Liza." Ash said, addressing the guardian of the Charicific Valley. "Sorry for calling so late."

"It's fine," she said, regaining her composure instantly. "I suppose you wanna make sure Charizard made it back okay? Well, see for yourself."

Liza turned the camera toward the corner of the room. Lying in the corner were two massive orange dragonlike Pokemon with big, batlike wings and flames burning at the tips of their tails. One of them had a pink bow on its head and was easily recognizable as Liza's female Charizard, Charla. The other was Ash's own male Charizard, which smiled and waved as soon as it saw him.

"Actually, it's kinda the opposite." Ash said as Liza turned the camera back to herself. "Ya see, I've got a big battle tomorrow and—."

"You were hoping for Charizard's help?" Liza finished. Ash nodded. "Sorry, Ash, but I can't help you. Charizard's fighting fit, but it's just not up to another long journey, especially overnight."

"Okay," Ash sighed. "Thanks anyway." He said as he hung up.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

End Flashback…

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The next call was just as much of a letdown.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Flashback…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Cobalt Police and Fire Department." Said the woman who answered the phone. This one was in her twenties, too, and also had blue hair, though it was a darker shade than Liza's, and she was wearing a police uniform. "Please state the nature of your call." Then she smiled when she saw who was calling. "Oh, hello, Ash." She said cheerfully.

At the sound of the caller's name, a Pokemon climbed onto the desk and stared at the screen. It looked like a blue turtle with a brown-and-white shell, and it was currently wearing a black firefighter's jacket. _"Squirtle!"_ it said with a grin.

"Hey, Squirtle!" Ash laughed. "Just who I wanted to see, 'cuz I've got a match tomorrow and—."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ash." Jenny said, shaking her head. "I'm afraid Squirtle can't battle tomorrow. A herd of Camerupt just moved into town, starting fires with their Eruption everywhere. We need the Squirtle Squad here until we can get the Camerupt to move on."

"Okay." Ash said, disappointed.

"Well, good luck with your battle, Ash!" Jenny said as she hung up.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

End Flashback…

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And the last call had been a little over the top…

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Flashback…

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"Hello, Ash." An elderly man in a white lab coat said groggily, rubbing his eyes. It was Professor Oak, the man who had given Ash his first Pokemon, and who takes care of other Pokemon not on his team. "A little late to be calling, isn't it?"

"Sorry, Professor," Ash grimaced, sweatdropping and rubbing the back of his head. "It's just that I've got a huge battle tomorrow, and—."

"You wanted to use some of the Pokemon you have here." Professor Oak finished. "I understand. What would you like me to send over?"

"Well," Ash said. "Bulbasaur, for starters, and maybe—."

"I'm sorry, Ash," the Professor interrupted. "But Bulbasaur is needed here. You see, a newer trainer recently caught two feuding Gyarados that he couldn't quite tame, so…well, see for yourself."

Professor Oak reached up and turned the camera around the lab to a soundproof window. Through it, Ash could see two enormous blue sea serpent-like Pokemon apparently roaring in anger. They were also firing yellow-orange beams from their mouths (Hyper Beams) at each other. On the ground was Ash's Bulbasaur, a small, bluish, dinosaur-like Pokemon with a big green flower bulb on its back, which it was currently reaching two vines out of (its Vine Whip attack) and using them to try and restrain one of the Gyarados as Ash's gold-and-red Noctowl (an Owl Pokemon that is normally brown-and-black) flew in front of it and stared into its eyes for a Hypnosis attack, which didn't seem very successful.

"As you can see, Ash," Professor Oak said, turning the camera back toward himself. "We desperately need Bulbasaur here, and Noctowl, too, at least for now. We need to hold them off until we can calm them down, seeing as they're so strong that the trainer only caught them because they weakened each other."

"Why don't you just put 'em back in their Pokeballs?" Ash suggested.

"They broke the recall mechanisms when I let them out." The Pokemon Professor explained. "I'm trying to fix them right now. As for your battle, what other Pokemon might you like to use?"

"I don't know." Ash replied. "I was kinda hopin' for Bulbasaur."  
"Well," the Professor suggested. "How about Bayleef? You haven't used that one in a while. Or Kingler? It hasn't seen any action since—."

_"Muk!"_ called a deep voice from the Professor's left as Muk (Ash's overly affectionate purple-grey sludge Pokemon) oozed onscreen. _"Muk!"_ it yelled again upon seeing its trainer onscreen.

"Muk, please!" Professor Oak pleaded. "This is neither the time nor the place!"

Muk ignored him. _"Muk!" _it boomed as it oozed over and covered the monitor and camera, blocking Ash's view completely.

"Ash," he could hear the Professor say. "I'm going to need you to call back later. I have some cleaning to do."

Ash sighed and hung up the phone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

End Flashback…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ash sighed again. Bulbasaur, Charizard, and Squirtle were his oldest Pokemon that he could still call upon (next to Pikachu), and three of his best. In fact, they, along with Pikachu, were the same ones he had used to beat Brandon. Things would be a lot harder without them.

"Switching out your team for tomorrow?" A voice asked from behind him.

Ash turned to face the speaker. It was Claire, who was smiling at him and looking wide awake.

"Trying to," Ash replied. "But it's not easy. I don't even know what type of Pokemon Michael uses."

"Well," Claire said. "I can't tell you what he'll use, per say, but I _can_ tell you he doesn't limit himself to one type. You're better off just picking a well-balanced team."

"Doesn't make things much easier." Ash grumbled.

"True," Claire said with a smile. "But I have something that might."

Claire reached into her pocket and pulled out a string necklace with a small orb filled with what looked like lightning as a pendant. "Here." She said, holding it in front of Ash's face.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"It's a Light Ball." Claire explained. "If a Pikachu holds it, the power of its electric attacks'll be doubled."

"Where'd you get it?" Ash asked excitedly.

"I gave it to Michael years ago." Claire said with a sigh. "He gave it back when he evolved his Pikachu into Raichu. This thing'll only work for a Pikachu, after all, which is why I'm letting you borrow it."

"Why are you giving me this?" Ash asked as he took the pendant. "Do you _want_ me to beat Michael?"

"Honestly?" Claire queried. "No. But I _do_ want a good show. That last battle was so one-sided! I was bored to tears! No offense, of course." She added, putting her hands up defensively. "Anyway, you don't _have_ to use it. It's your decision. Good night, Ash."

Claire gave him one last smile before turning and walking up the stairs. Ash stared at the Light Ball for a moment before placing it in his pocket. He'd decide later. Right now, he was going to bed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_After a good night's sleep, Ash and company are raring to go. Everyone's had their breakfast and is ready for what's sure to be an amazing battle._

"Ash, have you chosen your six Pokemon?" Alex asked.

"Switched 'em out before breakfast." Ash said proudly.

"And Michael, have you chosen yours?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Claire answered for him. "And it took _forever!_"

"So?" Michael said. "We have a lot to choose from up there."

"But is it really wise to leave them out in the open with no alarm or security system or anything?" Alex inquired.

"Is it really wise to say that in front of company?" Michael countered. "Honestly, what do you think will happen? What, do you think some thieves will break in and steal all of 'em, earning not only a huge profit but the previously lost respect of their employer? I mean, that's just ridiculous!"

"Fair enough," Claire agreed. "Now let's go."

"Chansey, you watch the Center while we're gone." Alex instructed.

_"Chansey."_ It said with a nod.

"You still haven't said where the gym is." Max pointed out.

"Please say it's not too far away." May pleaded.

"Not at all." Michael replied with a huge grin.

Michael walked over to the Chansey statue in the corner and pulled off its hat. The egg in its pouch popped open to expose a numbered keypad. Michael typed in a quick three-digit code and placed the hat back on the statue. The egg went back to normal, and the entire statue slowly moved to the right, exposing a staircase to a brightly lit underground hallway. "After you." Michael said, the Raichu on his shoulder nodding in agreement.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Did ya hear what dey just said?" Meowth said as they watched the heroes descend the staircase and the statue slide back to its original position.

"Yes, that was a pretty descriptive, not to mention accurate hypothetical situation." James said, his Mime, jr. mimicking his movements.

"Not dat!" Meowth said. "If he had a hard time decidin', den all his Pokemon must be supa-strong!"

"And all that's standing between us and them is that Chansey!" Jessie laughed. "So, once we punch out that Poke-pediatrician there'll be a plethora of potent Pokemon just packaged and prepared to be purloined!"

"What is it with you and alliterations?" James asked.

"What is it with _you_ and wearing women's clothes?" Jessie countered.

"Touché." James sighed.

"So, all we need now is a plan ta get past dat Chansey." Meowth summarized.

"No problem." Jessie told him, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ash and co., meanwhile, had reached the end of the hallway and arrived at an enormous battlefield. It was as big as an official Pokemon League stadium, though with a lot less seating. There was just one row of bleachers on one side of the arena.

The battlefield itself's design was pretty much the same as a basketball court, except sunken two feet into the floor and with tall podiums for the trainers (one red, one blue) where the hoops would be. There was still an electronic scoreboard opposite the bleachers, though.

"It's awesome!" Max shouted.

"It is, isn't it?" Michael agreed. "All right, take a seat everybody. Ash, climb up on the platform for the battle of your life!"

Claire, May, Max, and Brock took a seat as Michael and Raichu and Ash and Pikachu climbed onto the podiums (Ash on the blue, Michael on the red) and stared each other down.

Once on, Michael pressed a few buttons on his podium and the scoreboard lit up, showing a picture of Michael on the left and a picture of Ash on the right. Each of them had six blank boxes for the Pokemon they'd be using.

"Okay, Ash," Michael announced. "Here are the rules for the gym: Each trainer is allowed six Pokemon. You are allowed to make substitutions, but I am not. However, before I use each of my Pokemon, I am allowed to choose the arena and conditions, and they will remain that way until I choose my next Pokemon. Understood?" Ash nodded. "Then let's go!"

"Wait!" Brock called. "You don't have an official judge!"

"Oh, yes they do." Alex told him, walking over until she was under the scoreboard. Then, to Brock's delight, she grabbed the bottom of her white skirt and pulled it and her top over her head, exposing a matching black-and-white vertically striped skirt and top. "I'm this gym's official judge!" she proclaimed, holding up two flags. "Now, start the battle!"

"For the arena," Michael announced. "I'll choose the desert terrain."

Everyone watched in awe as Michael hit several buttons on his podium and the arena folded back and was replaced by another floor that completely filled the arena with fine sand.

"Now for my Pokemon." Michael declared. "I choose Slaking!" he said, tossing a Pokeball. In a flash of light, a large Pokemon that seemed like a cross between a sloth and a gorilla appeared and lay down on its stomach in front of Michael. The first box under Michael's picture lit up to show a picture of the Pokemon.

"A Slaking!" Brock exclaimed.

"Just like Dad's!" Max proclaimed.

"Great starter, baby!" Claire cheered.

Ash, meanwhile, just flipped open his Pokedex and scanned the Pokemon. **"Slaking," **it said, displaying the Pokemon's picture. **"The Laziness Pokemon. Hordes of these Pokemon have been known to gather around trees when fruits come into season, then wait for ripened ones to fall."**

"Now _that's_ lazy!" May commented.

"I don't get it, though." Brock stated. "Slaking's a forest Pokemon. Why use it in a desert battlefield?"

"You'll see." Claire said slyly.

"Well, if you're starting with big and lazy, then so will I!" Ash announced. "Go, Snorlax!"

Ash tossed a Pokeball of his own and a Pokemon resembling a black-and-white teddy bear appeared. It was as tall as Slaking, though much wider, with tiny arms, and big, round feet with no legs to speak of. A picture of it appeared in the first box under Ash's picture.

"The first match will be Snorlax vs. Slaking on the desert arena." Alex announced. "Let the battle begin!"

"Snorlax, start off with Ice Punch!" Ash commanded. Snorlax nodded and charged at Slaking, its fist out and covered with frost.

"Slaking, defend!" Michael ordered. Slaking moaned and raised its hands in front of Snorlax's fist, halting the attack completely.

"What the—?" Ash stuttered. "How did—?"

"A well-trained Slaking's hands are as hard and tough as steel plates." Michael explained. "You'll have to do better than that to hurt Slaking, Ash. Now," he said, turning to Slaking. "Use Blizzard!"

_"Sla…king."_ Slaking said with a yawn as it sent a flurry of hailstones from its mouth at Snorlax, blowing it backwards and dealing a fair amount of damage.

"That's one strong Blizzard attack." Brock commented. "Imagine if it had done normal damage."

"What do you mean?" May inquired.

"Snorlax has a trait called 'Thick Fat'." He explained. "It's a protective layer of blubber that lowers damage taken from Fire- and Ice-type attacks, but that Slaking's so powerful, it might not make much difference!"

"Then maybe this will!" Ash cried. "Snorlax, use Hyper Beam!"

_"Snor!"_ Snorlax replied, opening its mouth and shooting a beam just like the one the Gyarados were firing straight at Slaking.

"Slaking, Fire Blast!" Michael said confidently.

_"King."_ Slaking sighed before producing a flame shaped like a five-pointed star from its mouth. Unlike other Fire Blasts, though, it didn't plow toward the opponent. It just stayed right in front of Slaking, completely blocking the Hyper Beam before fading.

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed. "I've never seen Fire Blast used like _that_ before!"

"It's nothing." Michael said modestly. "Just a little trick I invented."

"Doesn't mean you're gonna win, though." Ash cried. "Snorlax, give it a full-contact Body Slam!"

_"Snorlax."_ The Sleeping Pokemon grunted as it charged at Slaking and jumped, preparing to hit it with a belly-flop.

"Slaking, send it back with Strength!" Michael yelled.

Just as Snorlax was about to collide, Slaking raised its arms and _caught Snorlax and tossed it back!_

"Whoa!" Max exclaimed. "Did you guys see that?"

"I saw it, but I don't believe it!" May told him.

"Snorlax!" Ash called out to his battered Pokemon. "Are you okay?"

_"Lax."_ Snorlax said with a nod as it got up and stared down Slaking.

"Now do you see, Ash?" Michael asked, his Raichu nodding in agreement. "Slaking has created the greatest defense known to Pokemonkind. Small attacks are too weak for Slaking's hands, special attacks can't make it past my defensive Fire Blast, and physical attacks will be in vain against Slaking's Strength! Face it, Slaking's untouchable!"

"Mikey's right, Ash," Claire agreed. "When he starts with Slaking, you can say goodbye to any future strategy!"

"So _that's_ why he used the desert arena!" Brock realized. "The sand softens the blow from attacks even more!"

"Exactly," Claire replied. "Now defeating Slaking's twice as hard!"

"But not impossible!" Ash objected. "Snorlax, try another Body Slam!"

Snorlax nodded and pounced at Slaking again.

"Slaking, Strength!" Michael yelled.

Once again, Slaking raised its arms, caught Snorlax, and threw it back, leaving the Sleeping Pokemon all the worse for wear.

"Switch out, Ash!" Brock urged. "Snorlax is exhausted!"

"What good'll that do?" Ash demanded. "Slaking hasn't even broken a sweat yet!"

"Then what _can_ you do?" May yelled.

Ash responded with another command to Snorlax.

"Snorlax, use Rest!"

Snorlax yawned and laid down on its stomach, apparently falling asleep, though with its squinty eyes it was hard to tell when it was awake. There was a slight glow around Snorlax as its scrapes disappeared.

"Using Rest to recover and get another chance, eh?" Michael summarized. "Too bad it leaves Snorlax vulnerable until it's done! Now, Slaking," he commanded. "Use Blizzard!"

Slaking lazily lifted its head and fired another wave of hailstones at Snorlax.

"Snorlax, use Sleep Talk!" Ash commanded.

"Sleep Talk?" everyone repeated.

May took out her Pokedex and searched under attacks. **"Sleep Talk," **it said. **"This move can only be used when a Pokemon is asleep. It will then use one attack from its repertoire at random."**

"You expect to protect yourself using a random attack?" Michael laughed.

As if to answer him, Snorlax jumped to its feet and crossed its arms as it was surrounded by a green force field. The Blizzard attack collided with it, but Snorlax remained unscathed.

"Snorlax used Protect!" May cheered.

"You got lucky, Ash." Michael announced. "It won't happen again. Slaking, hit it with Fire Blast!"

_"King."_ Slaking groaned before shooting a star-shaped conflagration at its opponent.

"Sleep Talk, Snorlax!" Ash cried.

"You actually expect that to work _again_?" Michael laughed, Raichu joining in.

Pikachu and Ash glared at them as Snorlax jumped to its feet to perform an attack again. As the Fire Blast neared it, Snorlax opened its mouth and fired a Hyper Beam, which collided with the Fire Blast and, to everyone's surprise, plowed through it and struck Slaking square in the face!

Slaking sputtered and coughed. It seemed to have taken a lot of damage!

"No way!" Claire gasped. "He actually touched my Mikey's Slaking!"

"Michael looked a little stunned himself, though he shook it off quickly. "It's okay." He said. "Slaking, use Slack Off!"

Slaking moaned as it was surrounded by a white aura, not unlike Snorlax when using Rest. When the aura faded, most of Slaking's injuries were gone.

"Oh, yeah!" Claire cheered. "Way to get back in the game, Mikey!"

"No problem, Babe." He laughed, before turning back to the battle. "Slaking," he ordered. "Finish it with another Fire Blast!"

Slaking shot another Fire Blast, but just as it did, Snorlax jumped to its feet.

"Snorlax is awake!" Max declared.

"Do something, Ash!" Brock yelled.

"Snorlax, use Protect!" Ash cried.

Snorlax reacted and put up the force field just in time. The Fire Blast hit, but Snorlax was unharmed.

"You can't hide behind Protect forever, Ash." Michael said. "It only works so many times in one battle."

"Then I'll just have to win right now!" Ash countered. "Snorlax, hit it with Hyper Beam!"

_"Snorlax!"_ Snorlax nodded, before charging and firing another yellow-orange beam at its opponent.

"Defend with Fire Blast!" Michael yelled.

Slaking moaned and complied, projecting the flame in front of it. Once again, it completely blocked the Hyper Beam before fading.

"Now use Blizzard!" Michael ordered.

"Protect, Snorlax!" Ash replied.

Snorlax crossed its arms and prepared for the oncoming attack, but this time the force field didn't appear. The Blizzard hit Snorlax head-on and sent it sprawling back.

"I told you it won't work forever!" Michael laughed.

Ash, however, was too preoccupied to listen.

_"Why didn't the Hyper Beam work?"_ he thought. _"It hit the Fire Blast dead-on. Why didn't it overpower it like it did when Slaking—?"_

"That's it!" he shouted. "Snorlax, use Body Slam!"

_"Snor!"_ Snorlax grunted as it ran and jumped at Slaking.

"Send it back with Strength!" Michael yelled.

_"Sla…king!"_ Slaking huffed as it caught the massive Pokemon and threw it back toward Ash.

"Body Slam again, Snorlax!" Ash commanded.

"Strength, Slaking!" Michael yelled.

Once again, Snorlax leapt at Slaking, and once again, Slaking caught it and threw it back.

"Body Slam!"

"Strength!"

"What's Ash doing?" Claire asked as Snorlax pounced at Slaking for the fourth time in a row.

"I don't know," Max said as it was tossed back again. "But I'm sure he's got a plan."

By now, the two Pokemon looked pretty different from the repeated exchanges of physical force. Slaking looked pretty winded, but Snorlax was positively exhausted. It was covered in bruises, scrapes, and sand, and was panting heavily.

"Time to end this." Michael announced. "Slaking, use Blizzard!"

"Snorlax, use Ice Punch!" Ash yelled.

As the hailstones approached Snorlax, it delivered a frozen punch straight to the center of the attack. The flurry split down the middle and passed harmlessly around either side of Snorlax.

"Nice one," Michael grinned. "But it won't work against this: Slaking, finish it with Fire Blast!"

"Hyper Beam, Snorlax!" Ash screamed. "Give it all you've got!"

The two Pokemon's attacks collided in the middle of the arena and pushed up against each other. For a second they were evenly matched, but soon enough, the Hyper Beam won out. It pushed through the Fire Blast and nailed Slaking right in the face, sending it sprawling back in pain.

"Now," Ash yelled. "Finish it with Ice Punch while it's stunned!"

Mustering all its energy, Snorlax ran at Slaking and delivered a frozen uppercut to its chin.

_"Sla…king." _Slaking moaned, slumping to the floor with swirly eyes.

"Slaking is unable to battle." Alex announced. "Victory for this round goes to Snorlax!"

"All right!" Ash cheered. "Way to go, Snorlax!"

_"Snor!"_ Snorlax said, before slumping over and going swirly-eyed, too.

"Pardon me." Alex said. "Snorlax is unable to battle as well. This round is a draw!"

The pictures of Snorlax and Slaking on the scoreboard went dark as the trainers recalled their unconscious Pokemon to their Pokeballs.

"Wait," May said. "I don't get it. Why'd the Hyper Beam work this time?"

"Simple," Brock said. "Slaking's able to put more power into a _de_fensive Fire Blast than an _o_ffensive one, since it keeps the attack close and can keep fueling it. When Ash realized that, he made a plan: First, he used an ineffective Body Slam again and again, not only to tire out Slaking, but to burn off Snorlax's energy and lower Michael's guard. Next, he waited for a Fire Blast. Since he knew Hyper Beam could plow through an offensive one, he just had to conserve the rest of Snorlax's energy until one came along. Finally, after the Hyper Beam hit, Slaking was momentarily stunned, giving Snorlax time to muster up its strength and deliver the finishing blow."

"Exactly," Ash said. "Slaking can't defend while attacking. That's the flaw in his strategy!"

"Congratulations, Ash." Michael said with a smile. "You're the first person to defeat Slaking with only one Pokemon since I made that defensive strategy, and, more importantly, you learned an important lesson: No strategy is perfect. There's a chink in everyone's armor. In battle, it's your job to find and exploit that weakness. Remember that, Ash, in the next round."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Ash has triumphed in one of his toughest battles yet, and it's only the first round! Does he have what it takes to make it all the way? I hope so, because I'm paid by the chapter. We'll find out in the next installment of Pokemon: the Ultimate Battle!_

(That narrator is GOOD! So, what'd you readers think? TELL ME YOUR OPINIONS. NO NON-FLAME REVIEW GOES UNAPPRECIATED! 'Til next time!)


	3. Unseen Opponents! The Battle Continues

(Hey, I updated again. IF YOU LIKE IT, GOOD. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, WHY ARE YOU STILL READING? Okay, enough banter. Take it, Narrator-dude!)

_In our last chapter, Ash and company were escorted to the secret Taupe gym, where Ash and Snorlax started things off on the desert arena against Michael's Slaking, which had an amazing defensive strategy. After a clever plan and a little luck, though, Snorlax was able to topple Slaking, though it collapsed from exhaustion soon afterward. What awaits our hero in the next round? We're about to find out!_

(Couldn't have said it better myself. NOW, LET THE CHAPTER BEGIN!)

The Ultimate Battle

Chapter Three: Unseen Opponents! The Battle Continues

"So," Ash asked. "What're we doin' for round two?"

"See for yourself." Michael smirked.

Michael hit a few more buttons on his podium and the desert battlefield sunk into the floor. In its place, four walls and a ceiling made of a transparent material came up and formed a cube over the battlefield between the trainers.

"Interesting choice, Mikey." Claire commented. "You don't use _that_ battlefield often."

"Why?" May asked. "What is it?"

"The arena of darkness." Michael announced. "The walls are made of a very special material. We can see in, but when inside it, nothing can see out, or anything else, for that matter. The only light that can get in is a Pokeball's recall mechanism. In other words, the Pokemon will be fighting blind. You'll have to coach them properly to win. A real test of—."

"Just choose your stinkin' Pokemon, already!" Max yelled.

"Very well." Michael sighed.

Michael pulled open a small square panel on the wall of the arena in front of him and pulled out a Pokeball. This Pokeball, however, instead of being red and white, was dark green. A Dusk Ball. Michael tossed the Dusk Ball in and a Pokemon appeared in a cloud of darkness. This Pokemon had a tall, round build, with two strong arms and a large chest. There was an eerie pattern across its stomach that resembled eyes and a mouth. It had no legs to speak of, just a genie-ish wisp of a tail that seemed anchored to the floor. It had no face, just a single eye on its head and an antenna on top.

"My Pokemon will be Dusknoir," Michael announced. "But don't think a Ghost-type will be able to see. The darkness in this arena is so pure that nothing can see."

Ash nodded and pulled out his Pokedex. "**Dusknoir," **it said. **"The Gripper Pokemon. Legend has it that the antenna on its head receives messages from the spirit world, beckoning it to take people away. Because of this, it is often associated with the Grim Reaper."**

"It certainly _looks_ creepy enough!" May commented.

"Agreed," Claire said with a shiver. "Dusknoir even creeps _me_ out!"

"Choose your Pokemon, Ash." Michael requested.

Ash nodded and opened his own panel and threw in a Pokeball. "Glalie, I choose you!" he yelled. In a flash of light, a Pokemon with black horns that looked like a round face carved out of ice appeared.

_"Glalie."_ It said, opening its eyes wide to try and see in the darkness.

"This match will be Glalie vs. Dusknoir in the arena of darkness." Alex announced as the pictures of Dusknoir and Glalie appeared on the scoreboard and Ash and Michael closed their panels, terminating the last bit of light in the arena. "Let the battle begin!"

"Glalie, use Ice Beam!" Ash ordered.

Glalie didn't obey. It kept turning and squinting, trying to see its opponent. _"Gla, glalie." _It said nervously.

"To the left!" Ash directed. "Keep going—no, that's too much! Turn back, turn back!"

"Dusknoir, use Astonish!" Michael said.

_"Dusk."_ Dusknoir said in an eerie tone. The mouth image on its chest opened up. _"Dusk…NOIR!"_ it shouted in a loud roar, causing Glalie to panic even further.

"C'mon, Glalie," Ash called. "Use your Icy Wind!"

Glalie stayed put, looking nervous.

"What's wrong with Glalie?" May asked.

"Astonish sometimes causes flinching." Brock explained.

"But Glalie has the Inner Focus trait!" Max objected. "It can't flinch!"

"It's just confused because it can't see." Claire said.

"Exactly," Michael agreed. "Now, Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch!"

_"Dusknoir."_ His Pokemon said as it raised its arm and shot a ghostly fist out of its hand, which struck Glalie right in the forehead.

"Use Ice Beam where the attack came from!" Ash shouted.

Glalie smiled, opened its mouth and fired a blue beam, but, to every spectator's surprise, the attack missed by over three feet! Glalie was truly fighting blind.

"Dusknoir, another Shadow Punch!" Michael commanded.

Dusknoir nodded and fired another spectral hand, which, despite the Ghost-type's inability to see, zoomed right at its opponent.

"Dodge it with Double Team!" Ash told Glalie.

Glalie nodded and split into five Glalies as the attack neared.

"Ash, no!" Brock warned. "It won't work!"

Sure enough, the Shadow Punch veered off-course toward the Glalie on the right and hit it where its nose would be if it had one, causing the other four Glalie illusions to disappear.

"What the—?" Ash exclaimed.

"Ash, Shadow Punch is a homing attack." Brock explained. "It never misses."

"He's right," Michael grinned. "And now that you know where your target is, Dusknoir," he said, turning back to the battle. "You can finish it with Fire Punch!"

Dusknoir raised its fist as it was covered in flames. _"Dusk!"_ it whispered as it charged directly at Glalie.

Just as Dusknoir was about to finish Glalie, though, Ash held up its Pokeball and shot a red beam of light at the Face Pokemon, returning it to its Pokeball.

The picture of Glalie on the scoreboard's background faded, but the image of Glalie itself stayed bright.

"Ash has recalled Glalie!" Alex declared, pointing a flag at Ash.

"Well, better to retreat than to lose pointlessly, I guess." Michael shrugged. "Now, select your next Pokemon!"

"C'mon, Ash!" May cheered. "Beat that Dusknoir!"

"Try choosing something that can find Dusknoir using something other than sight!" Brock suggested.

Ash smiled as he opened the panel on the arena's wall and threw in another Pokeball. With another flash of light, a Pokemon resembling a short, round, armored elephant with big tusks appeared. It blinked in the darkness as Ash closed the panel again.

"This match will be Donphan vs. Dusknoir on the arena of darkness." Alex proclaimed as Donphan's picture appeared under Glalie's. "Let the battle continue!"

"Why would Ash use Donphan?" Max asked.

"I don't know," his sister replied. "But he looked like he knew what he was doing."

"We'll find out soon enough." Claire said with a smirk. "C'mon, Mikey!" she cheered. "Beat him into the ground!"

"You got it, Babe!" Michael laughed as he turned toward the battle. "Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch!"

_"Noir."_ Dusknoir said as it fired another ghostly fist, which sped right at Donphan.

"Donphan, Defense Curl!" Ash bellowed.

_"Don."_ Donphan said as it curled its wide trunk to cover its legs, making it look remarkably like a tire. The Shadow Punch plowed into it, but Donphan took minimal damage.

"You know where it is, Dusknoir!" Michael declared. "Use Night Shade!"

Dusknoir's one eye went wide as it fired a black beam aimed exactly where Donphan was.

"Donphan, dodge to the left!" Ash warned.

_"Don, don!"_ Donphan said as it heeded the command and jumped aside just in time to avoid the attack.

"Great work!" Ash grinned. "Now use Odor Sleuth!"

Donphan closed its eyes and raised its trunk, sniffing around and finally turning toward Dusknoir.

"Odor Sleuth?" Michael repeated. "So that's your plan!"

"I don't get it." May said. "What's Odor Sleuth?"

"It's an attack." Max explained. "One that neutralizes attacks the opponent uses to make itself harder to hit, like Double Team and Sand Attack."

"Not only that," Brock added. "It also makes Ghost-types susceptible to types of attacks that wouldn't normally work on them."

"Right!" Ash said. "And now Donphan's got Dusknoir's scent, which means it can't hide in the dark anymore! Now, Donphan," Ash commanded. "Hit it with Take Down!"

Donphan nodded and charged full-speed ahead toward Dusknoir, ramming into it for a good deal of damage.

"Dusknoir!" Michael called out. "You okay, man?"

_"Dusk."_ Dusknoir said as it regained its composure.

"Then use Shadow Punch!" Michael commanded.

"Donphan, Defense Curl!" Ash shouted.

Donphan curled into a ball just in time as the ghostly hand hit its mark yet again.

"Now use Fire Punch!" Michael yelled.

Just as Donphan uncurled, Dusknoir rushed over and delivered a flaming uppercut to its trunk.

"Donphan, use another Take Down!" Ash said.

Donphan raised its trunk and sniffed, but didn't move. Then Ash saw why.

"Looks like Dusknoir's Fire Punch burned away Donphan's sense of smell, Ash!" Michael laughed. "And that means Odor Sleuth is null and void. All right, Dusknoir," he commanded. "You know where Donphan is. Wrap this up with Night Shade!"

Dusknoir fired another dark beam from its eye directly at the confused Donphan, but Ash, thinking quickly, held up its Pokeball and recalled it before the attack could land.

"Ash has recalled Donphan." Alex announced as the background in Donphan's picture went dark.

"Switching out _again_?" Michael asked. "You're just wearing out your Pokemon, you know."

Ash said nothing as he opened the panel and threw in another Pokeball. Glalie reappeared in a flash of light.

"Ash has reselected Glalie!" Alex declared as Glalie's picture's background lit up again. "Let the match continue!"

"Dusknoir, use Shadow Punch!" Michael ordered.

_"Dusk."_ Dusknoir agreed, firing yet another ghostly fist.

"Use Icy Wind to the right, Glalie!" Ash cried.

Glalie whipped around and sent a flurry of snowflakes (smaller than Blizzard, but more wide-spread) directly ahead. The attack not only caused the Shadow Punch to disintegrate, but dealt some damage to Dusknoir as well!

_"Glalie."_ It said proudly.

"Hit the source of the attack with Fire Punch!" Michael yelled. Dusknoir nodded and rushed at Glalie with a flaming fist.

"Glalie, Double Team, now!" Ash yelled.

Just as Dusknoir was about to hit Glalie, Glalie once again produced four copies of itself. Dusknoir hit one with its attack and caused it to vanish.

"Hurry, Glalie," Ash commanded. "While you know where it is: Use Sheer Cold!"

_"Glalie!"_ it said as it turned to where the glow of the Fire Punch was only seconds ago. Glalie glared and let loose a massive wave of frost from its mouth.

From the outside, all the spectators watched as Dusknoir was completely encased in ice. After a second, the ice shattered and Dusknoir dropped to the floor.

"Dusknoir is unable to battle!" Alex announced as Dusknoir's picture went dark. "Victory for this round goes to Glalie!"

"Nice work, Glalie!" Ash congratulated as Pikachu cheered.

_"Gla, glalie!"_ it said, bouncing happily.

"Excellent work, Ash." Michael said as he recalled Dusknoir. "You showed amazing promise. When one strategy failed, you instantly and successfully switched to another. Even better, you proved that your Pokemon trust you as much as you trust them, which it turns out is a lot. That trust will be a valuable asset in life, and in the next round. Speaking of which, could you recall Glalie? I need to set up the next battlefield."

Ash nodded and complied, returning the Face Pokemon to its Pokeball as its picture's background went dark again.

"Thanks," Michael said. "Now, for the battlefield, I'll go with…this one."

Michael hit several more buttons on his podium, and the walls of the current arena folded back into the floor to be replaced by a battlefield that could only be described as a garden. It was simply covered with tall, exotic, colorful flowers, and there was a small tree in the corner to Michael's left.

"Welcome to the Flower Elysium!" Michael announced.

"It's so beautiful." May commented, with Pikachu and Raichu nodding in agreement.

"Ah-CHOO!" Claire sneezed, turning everyone's attention toward her. She didn't look too good. Her eyes were watering and her nose was red. "Mikey," she said between sneezes. "You _know_ I'm (AH-CHOO!) allergic to these flowers! I thought we agreed that you'd (AH-CHOO!) tell me in advance when you (AH-CHOO!) planned on using this one so I could (AH-CHOO!) bring some nasal spray."

Michael's eyes went wide. "Sorry, Claire." He apologized, sweatdropping. "We battle here so little, I guess I forgot."

"Well," she said as she stood up. "I'm going (AH-CHOO!) to get some. Keep going with the battle while I'm (AH-CHOO!) gone, and we'll talk about this later." She added as she walked into the tunnel leading back to the Pokemon Center.

"Well," Michael said once she was out of sight. "You heard her, Ash: Continue the battle. So, for my Pokemon, I choose one I like to call 'Sniper'."

"Why do you call it that?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You'll see." Michael smirked, tossing a Pokeball into the battlefield. The ball landed in the flowers, and a flash of light was seen, but no Pokemon was visible.

"Where is it?" May asked, scanning the battlefield.

"It must be hiding under the flowers." Max guessed.

"Well, what kind of Pokemon is it?" Ash asked.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Michael replied with a big smile.

"Doesn't a gym leader have to say what Pokemon they're using?" Max asked.

"Actually," Brock told him. "There's no rule against it. It's just that people usually know what it is when it comes out, anyway."

"He's right." Michael agreed. "I'm abiding the rules perfectly. Now, Ash," he said, turning to his opponent. "Select your Pokemon."

Ash thought for a moment before pulling a Pokeball off of his belt and throwing it into the arena. "I choose Sceptile!" he announced.

After the usual flash of light, another Pokemon appeared in the arena. This one looked like a seven-foot-tall green gecko that stood on two legs, with four yellow knobs on its back. It had strong legs and long, skinny arms with what appeared to be leaves growing out of its elbows. Its tail looked like four palm leaves that had been stiffened and placed together in the shape of an X. It also had a small twig in its mouth. _"Sceptile."_ It said, in a rather high-pitched voice.

"This round will be between Sceptile and Sniper." Alex announced as the scoreboard displayed a picture of Sceptile and, oddly enough, a question mark. "Let the battle begin!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As this happened, Claire, whose allergy symptoms had cleared up since she left the gym, emerged from the secret staircase into the Center's lobby.

"I can't believe he forgot to tell me." She muttered to herself. "If he wasn't so cute…and strong…and brave…and sweet…well, I probably wouldn't have had any reason to go out with him in the first place, come to think of it."

_"Chansey."_ Chansey said, snapping her back to reality.

"Oh, hi, Chansey." Claire said, heading for the staircase. "Just had to get some nasal spray. I'm going back in a minute."

Claire dashed upstairs and grabbed a bottle of nasal spray from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and jogged down. Just as she was almost at the Chansey statue, though, the door opened and two people—a man and a woman—walked in. They looked rather old, with grey hair and out-of-date clothes. The woman was also holding a Meowth.

_"Darn!"_ Claire thought. _"Can't go back with people here to see me open the door. Better get rid of them, and quick!"_

"Hello," she said. "Welcome to Taupe Town. May I help you?"

"Uh, one moment please." The man said.

Claire watched as the two huddled in a corner.

"What do we do?" the man asked. "This changes everything!"

"This changes nothing." The woman hissed. "The plan will still work."

"Besides," the Meowth added. "She's a Joy. How tough could she possibly be?"

"Exactly!" the woman agreed. "This plan will work just fine so long as Meowth plays along and, above all, keeps quiet!"

"Do you need any help?" Claire asked again.

"Yes," the woman said, turning around. "My name is, uh, Jessica."

"And I'm Jim." The man added.

"And this Meowth is hurt." Jessica finished.

"It looks okay to me." Claire commented, staring at the Scratch Cat Pokemon.

"Oh," Jim stuttered. "Well—HEY, WHAT'S THAT?" he exclaimed, pointing out the window.

Claire and Chansey turned to look where he was pointing. After a second, though, Claire heard a yowling noise and whipped around to see the Meowth with a black eye that she was sure wasn't there before. "Okay," she said suspiciously. "Well, my sister, our Nurse Joy, is out, but Chansey will be able to help you."

"Oh, can't you?" Jessica asked.

"I'm, uh, not really trained as a nurse." Claire told them.

"Please?" Jim begged.

"Oh, all right." Claire sighed. "But I won't be much help."

"Thank you." Jim said as Chansey escorted everyone into the back room.

Claire didn't see the two people and the Meowth as they smiled at each other and chuckled evilly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Back at the gym, the battle had just started.

"All right, Sniper," Michael said. "Let's start things off with Screech!"

At Michael's command, a loud noise that sounded like a mixture of clicking and buzzing sounded from within the flowers, causing everyone except Michael, Raichu and Alex to wince in pain.

"Sceptile," Ash shouted. "Aim a Bullet Seed at the source of the sound!"

_"Scep."_ Sceptile said with a nod. _"Scep…tile-tile-tile!"_ it said, firing numerous large, glowing, seedlike projectiles from its mouth.

"Dodge it, Sniper!" Michael yelled. The flowers rustled as the Pokemon inside sped away from the attack to behind Sceptile. Strangely enough, the sound of the Screech didn't stop, though it did get a little softer.

"Now use Shadow Ball!" Michael ordered.

As soon as he said it, a ball of dark energy was fired out of the vegetation and struck Sceptile in the back.

"Nice try, Ash," Michael said. "But it won't work."

"Try finding out what you're up against, Ash," Brock coached. "Then come up with a strategy once you know."

"Good idea," Ash said, shouting above the buzzing and clicking. "Sceptile, cut these flowers away with Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile nodded as the leaves on its right elbow converged and formed one long, curved, glowing blade. _"Sceptile."_ It said as it leapt at the flowers.

"Sorry, Ash," Michael said again. "But I can't let you do that. Sniper, Shadow Ball!"

Right away, another dark energy orb flew out of the flowers and collided with Sceptile, causing the Leaf Blade to turn back to normal as Sceptile fell face-down into the flowers.

"Are you okay, Sceptile?" Ash asked over the sound of the extended Screech.

_"Sceptile."_ It said, jumping confidently to its feet.

"Then use Leaf Blade where that Shadow Ball came from!" Ash ordered.

_"Tile!"_ Sceptile said as it turned and leapt at the aforementioned spot, its elbow becoming a long, glowing blade again as it did.

"Dig, then Shadow Ball!" Michael commanded. The buzzing was muffled for a minute as Sniper apparently burrowed underground, but it went back to normal as another Shadow Ball was fired and struck Sceptile from its left, once again canceling the Leaf Blade and knocking Sceptile into the colorful and fragrant flora.

"My apologies, Ash," Michael said. "But do you have any idea how expensive this arena was? Or how hard it is to keep these flowers fresh and healthy? I'm not about to let you cut them away just to win a battle. Besides, they're perfect for showing off Sniper's strategy."

"Strategy?" Max repeated. "You call running and hiding a _strategy_?"

"You want it to come out?" Michael asked. "Very well. You heard 'em, Sniper! Give everyone a quick demonstration of your Cut attack!"

The Screech sound got louder and the flowers rustled as Sniper apparently approached Sceptile. When it was about two feet away, something suddenly burst from the grass and whizzed past Sceptile before reentering the abundant plant life.

"Did anyone see anything?" Brock asked.

"No!" Max replied. "It's like it was invisible or somethin'!"

"I think I did." May piped up. "It was only for a second, but I'm sure I saw something red."

"Well, whatever it was, it doesn't seem like it actually _did_ anything." Ash said.

"Really?" Michael inquired. "Look again."

Everyone stared at Sceptile, looking for a sign of damage. At first, it seemed like nothing had happened to it, but after a second, something happened: The front half of the twig in Sceptile's mouth fell to the floor, having been sliced clean off.

"And that was just a demonstration, Ash." Michael said. "Just wait until Sniper shows off its _real_ power! If you're going to defeat it, I suggest you do it soon, because I guarantee things'll only get tougher as time goes on."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Ash is getting kicked around like a soccer ball, and he doesn't even know who's doing it! What is this mysterious Sniper, and how can Ash defeat it? And what about Claire, and those people who are obviously Team Rocket in disguise? Find out in the next installment of "The Ultimate Battle"!_

(This narrator ROCKS! Totally worth his high rates. Anyway, to the reviewers: What species do you think Sniper is? Tell me in the review, 'cuz I wanna know what you think! 'TIL NEXT TIME!)


	4. Hidden Enemies Exposed!

(Welcome back. I got some good guesses about Sniper's identity from you reviewers. I GOT GUESSES ABOUT IT BEING A KRICKETUNE, A KECLEON, A SNEASEL, A WEAVILE, A SCIZOR, AND A BELLOSSOM. Is it one of these? Is it none of them? Is it all of them? PROBABLY NOT THE LAST ONE. I DON'T DO AMALGAMATIONS. Now, let the narrator do his thing.)

_In our last chapter, Ash began round two of his battle, facing down Michael's Dusknoir in an arena of pure darkness. Though he had a rocky start, Ash and Glalie managed to locate and defeat Dusknoir after a few unsuccessful strategies. Now in the third round, Ash and his Sceptile are facing down Sniper, a tricky opponent that they've yet to even see! Meanwhile, Claire, in retrieving nasal spray to deal with her allergies to the newest battlefield, the flower Elysium, has her hands full with two Pokemon Center patrons and their Meowth, who seem to exhibit an ulterior motive. What will become of these scenarios? Let's find out!_

Great job. I'M JUST GONNA START THE CHAPTER NOW.)

The Ultimate Battle

Chapter Four: Hidden Enemies Exposed!

"That should do it." Claire said as she sprayed some Super Potion on the Meowth's black eye. "All done."

_"Chansey."_ Chansey said, handing the cranially bandaged Pokemon back to Jessica.

"Excellent." Jim said. "Thank you so much."

"We're very appreciative." Jessica added.

"No problem," Claire said. "But just out of curiosity, how long have you had this Meowth?"

"Um, why do you ask?" Jessica inquired.

"I may not be a nurse," Claire told her. "But I _am_ a coordinator, and as such I can still tell when a Pokemon is in good shape, and this Meowth certainly isn't."

"What makes you say that?" Jim demanded.

"Lots of things." Claire responded. "Its claws are dull, its charm is tarnished, its whiskers are limp, and its fur is off-color, not to mention—."

"Dat's it!" the Meowth suddenly yelled, jumping out of the woman's arms and landing on its hind legs. "I ain't gonna just stand hea' an' be insulted!"

Claire jumped back in shock. "I-it _talked_!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, smooth move, Meowth!" Jessica said, suddenly sounding much younger. "Now our cover's blown!"

"Well, I guess there's no more need for these disguises anymore, is there?" Jim suggested, sounding positively adolescent.

The two people nodded and pulled off their clothes and wigs, exposing themselves as two teenagers: a maroon-haired girl and a blue-haired boy. They were both wearing white uniforms adorned with a red letter "R".

"Who are you?" Claire demanded as Chansey cowered in the back corner. "What are you doing here?"

"Whaddaya say we do da new motto we been workin' on?" the Meowth asked, completely ignoring her.

"Sounds good!" the other two agreed.

"Listen, is that a sound I hear?" the girl recited.

"I'll say it loud, and crystal-clear!" the boy added.

"On the breeze…"

"Through the sky…"

"In your ea'!" the Meowth added.

"Bringing problems at a speedy pace!" the girl declared.

"Dashing chance, putting pride in its place!" the boy rhymed.

"A tulip by any other name's just as sweet."

"When everything's bad, our job is complete."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Meowth, dat's a name!"

"Putting goody-goody twerps in their place!" Jessie said.

"Team Rocket…" James started.

"We're in your face!" the three finished simultaneously.

Claire sweatdropped upon seeing this ridiculous spectacle. "Uh, needs a little work." She told them.

"We'll tweak it later." James said.

"But fo' now, we'll just steal every Pokemon in dis place!" Meowth announced.

"Oh, no you won't!" Claire argued.

"And who's going to stop us?" Jessie laughed. "You?"

"That's right!" Claire said, glaring at the three thieves.

"We'll see about that!" Jessie said, throwing a Pokeball. "Go, Seviper!"

"You too, Cacnea!" James shouted, tossing a Pokeball of his own.

The Pokeballs opened and two Pokemon appeared. One was a big, purple snake with a spaded tail and HUGE fangs. The other looked like a short cactus with a yellow flower on its head.

_"Cacnea!"_ the latter shouted, jumping up and hugging its trainer's face.

"Must we go through this every time?" James asked, wincing in pain as he pushed Cacnea off.

"So, little girl," Jessie taunted. "What're you going to do now?"

"First off," Claire said, an anime vein popping in her forehead. "Don't call me 'little girl', 'cuz I'm older than you, and second: I'm gonna battle!"

Claire pulled two Pokeballs off of her belt and threw them, resulting in two more Pokemon appearing. One was somewhat human-looking, but only about four feet tall, tan, but with a blue body, with little round hands and big, circular blue feet. It also had a long tail with a round ball on the end and a sharp point on top of its otherwise wide, flat head. The other Pokemon looked like a tall, yellow, humanoid fox with long whiskers, a red star on its forehead, and a spoon in one of its three-fingered hands.

"Uh, James," Jessie asked. "What are those?"

"Hold on," he said, reaching into his pocket. "I think I have some cards in here."

Sure enough, he pulled out a stack of cards and leafed through them until he found the two he was looking for. "That's a Hitmontop," he said, looking at the card and pointing to the tan Pokemon. "The Handstand Pokemon. It spins upside-down on the top of its head at high speeds, drastically increasing the power of its kicks. And that," he said, scanning the other card as he pointed at the foxlike Pokemon. "Is a Kadabra, the Psi Pokemon. It often emits psychic waves that are known to cause headaches in humans."

"Headaches or no headaches," Meowth said. "We're takin' all your Pokemon!"

"Right!" Jessie and James said with a nod.

"Seviper, use Bite!" Jessie commanded.

"Cacnea, Needle Arm!" James ordered.

Seviper opened its mouth and lunged at Kadabra, while Cacnea's arm began glowing as it jumped toward Hitmontop.

"Kadabra, Teleport!" Claire directed. "Hitmontop, use Rapid Spin!"

The two Pokemon nodded and heeded the commands. Kadabra disappeared and reappeared behind Seviper, and Hitmontop jumped upside-down and began spinning on the point on its head, knocking Cacnea away.

"Great work!" Claire cheered. "Now let's go on the offensive. Kadabra, use Psybeam! Hitmontop, Triple Kick!"

_"Kadabra."_ Kadabra said as it raised its spoon and shot a rainbow-colored beam at Seviper, sending it skidding back.

_"Hitmon!" _Hitmontop exclaimed as it spread out at its feet and sped up its rotation. _"Toptoptoptoptop!"_ it shouted as it delivered one, two, three kicks to Cacnea's face.

"Seviper, use Poison Tail!" Jessie shouted.

_"Se, viper!"_ her Pokemon hissed as its spaded tail glowed purple and it swung it at Kadabra.

"Cacnea, Pin Missile!" James yelled.

Cacnea nodded and raised its arms. _"Cacacacacacacacacac!"_ it shouted as it fired out dozens of glowing, needle-like projectiles.

"Hitmontop, dodge, and then Mach Punch!" Claire instructed. "Kadabra, Teleport, and then Psychic!"

Hitmontop jumped back right-side-up and leapt aside to avoid the Pin Missile before rushing forward with amazing speed and punching Cacnea in the face.

Kadabra, meanwhile, disappeared again and reappeared in front of Seviper before pointing its spoon at it and enveloping the Fang Snake Pokemon in a blue glow and mentally throwing it toward the rest of its team, leaving the two humans and the three Pokemon piled up next to the door.

"Give up yet?" Claire jeered.

Jessie opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, another voice rang out.

_"Wob-buffet!"_ cried a voice from the Center's lobby.

_"Mime-mimemime!"_ said a smaller one with the same tone.

"Dat's da signal!" Meowth shouted. "Let's get outta hea'!"

All five Team Rocket members burst out the door into the lobby, with Chansey, Claire, and her Pokemon in hot pursuit.

Once there, Claire say two Pokemon—a Wobbuffet and a Mime, jr.—holding a burlap sack full of Pokeballs. Jessie, James, and Meowth had been a distraction! They had tricked her into taking them into the back room while their Pokemon (which they must've released while she was leading them in) looted the place! They had only battled her to buy some time!

"Nice work, Mime, jr.!" James congratulated as Jessie grabbed the sack and they recalled Wobbuffet and Mime, jr.

"You're not getting away with this!" Claire exclaimed.

"Oh, I think we are." Jessie countered. "Seviper, use Haze!"

_"Viper!"_ Seviper hissed, opening its mouth and releasing a thick black smoke that filled the Pokemon Center's lobby, obscuring all view.

Claire sputtered and coughed. She knew that they had escaped from the Center. She could easily hear the bell on the door ring as they opened it. If only she could see.

"Hitmontop," she choked. "Blow this smoke away with Rapid Spin!"

_"Hitmon!"_ it said, possibly nodding its head before jumping upside-down and rotating, blowing all the smoke away.

"Nice work." She said as she burst through the door and gasped at what she saw.

Not only was Team Rocket getting away, they were getting away in style, in a giant hot air balloon shaped like Meowth's head, which was slowly rising off the ground.

"Give up, girl!" Jessie taunted, holding the sack up high. "Your Pokemon are ours now!"

"Or at least until we hand 'em ova ta da boss!" Meowth laughed.

_"Just one chance."_ Claire thought, pulling an object out of her pocket.

"Kadabra," she said, tossing the item to her Psychic-type. "Take this and use Trick!"

_"Kadabra."_ It said with a nod. Kadabra twirled the object around and around in its fingers. In a second, it vanished and was replaced by the sack of Pokeballs.

At the exact same time, Jessie laughed again. "Using will be our ticket to Easy Street!" she declared, unaware that her and Kadabra's items had just been switched.

"Nasal spray?" Meowth asked, staring at the item. "I don't even _have_ a nose!"

"What!?" Jessie exclaimed, staring at the object and then Claire. "No!"

"Now to end this," Claire announced. "Go, Froslass!"

Claire tossed another Pokeball and yet another Pokemon appeared. This one was white, with a red sash around its waist with a bow on its back, and was very elegant-looking. It had big eyes and long, three-fingered arms edged with what looked like purple fins. Strangely, the arms emerged from the bottom of its head and not its legless, floating torso. Somehow, it looked amazingly similar to a girl in a kimono.

"James," Jessie asked. "What exactly is that?"

James pulled out the cards and read off one. "Froslass," he quoted. "The Snow Land Pokemon. It says here that 'its freezing breath can reach -60 degrees Fahrenheit, and what appears to be its body is actually hollow'."

"Froslass," Claire commanded. "Use Hyper Beam!"

_"Froslass."_ It said sweetly, aiming an orange beam from its mouth at the balloon. _"Fros…lass!"_

The beam hit the balloon and easily punctured it, sending Team Rocket flying.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" they said as they soared out of sight.

"Nice work, everyone." Claire said, recalling her Pokemon and picking up the sack. "Guess I'm watchin' the match with a stuffy nose, though." She sighed as she walked to the Chansey statue.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At the same time as the ending of that last scene, Ash's battle was still going, and so was the sound of Sniper's Screech.

"That Sniper's got amazing stamina!" Brock commented. "I've never seen any Pokemon maintain an attack for so long!"

"It'd be great in contests!" May shouted.

"Nah," Claire suddenly said from behind them. "Contests are more (AH-CHOO!) my thing. Mikey prefers battles."

"What's with the bag, Claire?" Michael asked.

"Trust me," she replied, setting the bag down and wrapping her sleeve around her face. "You wouldn't believe me. Now, continue the battle."

"You heard her, Sceptile." Ash said. "Try forcing the flowers down with your Slam attack!"

_"Sceptile."_ Sceptile said as it leapt up and prepared to slam its tail down and crush the flowers.

"Sniper, Dig, then Shadow Ball!" Michael ordered.

The buzzing and clicking was muffled again as whatever was in the flowers burrowed underground, but went back to normal as it resurfaced and shot another dark orb, nailing Sceptile from the right and sending it flying back near the tree in the corner.

"Sceptile!" Ash exclaimed.

_"Tile."_ It said through clenched teeth as it stood up.

"Now show it another Cut!" Michael said. "For real this time!"

The flowers shuffled as Sniper moved toward Sceptile. At the last second, something emerged from the vegetation, swept past Sceptile in a high arc, and dove back in, all in less than a second!

Sceptile fell to its knee, its leg clearly injured.

"Sceptile!" Ash shouted.

"Is it just me, or is that thing getting faster?" May asked with a very worried tone.

"Sniper always likes to warm up first." Michael explained. "But now it's time to end this, and turn the entire battle in my favor. Sniper," he commanded. "Surprise it with Dig, then finish it with your Fury Cutter combo!"

"_There's gotta be a way to stop it!" _Ash thought as the buzzing muffled again.

The Screech became louder as Sniper apparently emerged from the ground and moved toward Sceptile.

"_Sceptile can't dodge on that leg."_ he mentally panicked. _"I've gotta see it coming!"_

"Of course!" Ash exclaimed. "Sceptile, use Detect, then Leaf Blade!"

"_Scep."_ Sceptile said, smiling and closing its eyes. In its mind, it could see _something_ approaching from the right. It smiled and transformed the leaves on its elbow into a glowing blade.

Just as Sniper burst toward Sceptile, Sceptile hit it with the Leaf Blade and knocked it into the tree.

"Finish it with Bullet Seed, Sceptile!" Ash shouted.

"_Sceptile!"_ Sceptile shouted as it opened its mouth and shot a barrage of seeds at its target. When it was over, the Pokemon fell onto one of the tree's roots, not moving and clearly visible.

"Sniper is unable to battle!" Alex announced as the picture of the question mark went dark. "Victory for this round goes to Sceptile!"

"_Sceptile."_ Sceptile said proudly, grabbing a twig from the tree and placing it in its mouth. Nobody noticed that, though. They were too busy looking at Sniper.

It was a small Pokemon, with a body only about two and a half feet long. It had clear wings, a black body, and a yellow face that looked somewhat like a mask. Its red eyes (which were what May saw) were currently filled with swirls.

"A Ninjask!" Max exclaimed.

Ash held up his Pokedex, which in retrospect he realized he probably could've used to find Sniper earlier. **"Ninjask," **it said. **"The Ninja Pokemon. It is capable of flying at incredibly high speeds, and is known for making loud cries while doing so. Because of this, it was long believed to be invisible."**

"That's how it got around so quickly!" Brock realized. "Ninjask is the fastest Pokemon there is!"

"And its Speed Boost ability makes it faster and faster as time goes on." Michael added. "That's why it hid at first: It wasn't quick enough to come out without being seen."

"So you attacked using Shadow Ball until it was fast enough!" Ash realized.

"Exactly," Michael said with a smile. "And that was a very impressive win, Ash. You kept calm and came up with a plan in a hectic situation. Not everyone can do that."

"Thanks!" Ash said with a grin.

"You're very welcome." Michael said. "Now, recall Sceptile so I can change battlefields."

The background of Sceptile's picture went dark as Ash returned it to its Pokeball.

"Whatever you're planning, Mikey, make it normal again first." Claire requested, speaking through her sleeve. "I need to clear away this stray pollen."

"Sure thing, Claire." Michael said as he returned the battlefield to how it was when they came in.

"Thanks," Claire said, pulling a Pokeball out of the sack and tossing it in the air. "Go, Yanmega!" she cried.

The Pokeball opened and yet another Pokemon appeared. This one was essentially a giant green dragonfly with four clear wings edged with red, a pincer on its tail, and HUGE red multifaceted eyes.

May held up her Pokedex and scanned it. **"Yanmega," **it said. **"The Ogre Darner Pokemon. By churning its wings, it creates shock waves that inflict critical internal injuries to foes."**

"Yanmega," Claire said. "Could you please blow away this pollen and clear my sinuses?"

"_Yan, yanmega." _It buzzed, nodding.

Yanmega flew up and positioned its belly toward the battlefield. It moved its wings ("flapped" isn't really the word for this action), hard and fast, creating a strong wind that blew over the battlefield, blowing away all traces of pollen.

"Thanks, Yanmega." Claire said, recalling Yanmega and taking a deep breath. "I can breathe again. Okay," she said, turning to Michael. "Go ahead."

"Okay," he said. "I choose this one."

Michael hit several more buttons on his podium and four walls and a ceiling once again rose and covered the arena between the trainers. These walls, however, each had a statue of an Alakazam (Kadabra's evolved form, which it looks a lot like, but a little skinnier, with another spoon, and no tail or star on its forehead) in the center of the outside.

"All right!" Claire cheered. "_Now_ we're in for some entertainment!"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"This arena is very special, Ash." Michael elaborated. "See those statues? They send out an unfocused Psychic attack with zero blind spots. In other words: They eliminate gravity."

"No gravity!?" Max exclaimed. "How can anyone battle without gravity?"

"That's the part that's fun to watch." Claire said with a smile.

"Now for my Pokemon." Michael said.

Michael pressed a button on the wall in front of him. A panel opened and a harness just the right size for a Pokeball slid out. Michael placed a Pokeball in the harness and it slid in and opened the Pokeball before sliding out, allowing him to retrieve the ball before sliding back in and closing the panel.

Meanwhile, a Pokemon appeared in the arena in a flash of light. This one was very unusual-looking, quite possibly the strangest Pokemon Ash had ever seen. If he had to relate it to an animal, he'd say some sort of bird—a pink and blue bird with no legs, just an oval under its belly. Its "wings" (which were just pink ovals) weren't even attached to its body, and neither was its oval-beaked head! They were just floating next to and above its oval-shaped torso, rotating slightly.

"_Po-ry-gon-Z."_ it said. Its voice was strange. It sounded computerized, and the tone, pitch, and volume kept changing as it spoke.

"My Pokemon will be Porygon-Z!" Michael said proudly.

"A Porygon-Z!?" Max gasped. "Where'd you get one of those?"

"I get around, kid." Michael laughed.

Ash said nothing as he held out his Pokedex and scanned Porygon-Z. **"Porygon-Z,"** it said. **"The Virtual Pokemon. This Pokemon was created when Porygon2 was merged with a corrupted program, drastically altering its form and behavior."**

"So, Ash," Michael asked. "What Pokemon will you be using?"

Ash smiled as he mimicked Michael's process of sending out a Pokemon in this arena. "I choose Glalie!" he announced as Glalie appeared.

"Good choice, Ash!" Brock called. "Since Glalie already hovers, the arena won't affect it!"

"This match will be Glalie vs. Porygon-Z in the zero-gravity arena!" Alex declared as Porygon-Z's picture appeared and Glalie's picture's background lit up. "Let the battle begin!"

"Glalie, start things off with a Headbutt!" Ash ordered.

"_Glalie."_ It said, rushing toward its opponent.

"Porygon-Z, dodge it." Michael said calmly.

"_Z."_ Porygon-Z said, easily lowering itself under the path of the attack, leaving Glalie panicked and skidding to a halt, barely avoiding hitting the wall.

"Battling in three dimensions is different, Ash." Michael lectured. "There's more than forward and back, left and right. There's up and down as well. Now, Porygon-Z," he shouted. "Use Zap Cannon!"

"_Po-ry-gon."_ It said, turning its whole head around as it did! A yellow ball of electricity appeared over the bump on top of its head. _"Z."_ it said, firing the ball.

"Glalie, Double Team!" Ash cried.

Glalie split into five of itself just in time to avoid the attack.

"_Glalie's Headbutt is no good." _Ash thought. _"Better stick with special attacks."_

"Glalie," he shouted. "Icy Wind!"

The four remaining Glalie merged together into one and sent another flurry of snowflakes from its mouth.

"Use Conversion 2!" Michael yelled.

"_Po-ry-gon-Z."_ it said as it suddenly turned bright scarlet. The Icy Wind washed over it, but didn't appear to do much damage.

"What just happened?" May asked.

"Conversion 2 changes the user's type to a type strong against the type of an opponent's last attack." Claire explained. "Porygon-Z became a Fire-Type and minimized damage."

"Icy Wind'll still slow it down, though." Ash protested.

"That's true," Michael agreed. "But the speed at which Porygon-Z moves makes little difference, since it never physically attacks, and dodging attacks is child's play in zero-G. Now, Porygon-Z," he commanded. "Use Lock-On!"

Porygon-Z stared hard at Glalie. In its mind's eye, it placed a target on it. _"Z." _it proclaimed.

"Glalie, Headbutt it while its focus is broken!" Ash shouted.

Glalie nodded and rushed at Porygon-Z again.

"Dodge it." Michael said.

"_Z."_ Porygon-Z replied. Its head swiveled around, never taking its eyes off of Glalie as it dodged upward.

"Finish it with Zap Cannon!" Michael yelled.

"_Po-ry-gon-Z."_ his Pokemon said as it shot another orb of electricity at its target.

"Glalie, Double Team!" Ash shouted again.

"Won't work." Claire sighed.

She was right. The Zap Cannon veered off-course and struck the real Glalie right away, enveloping it in a yellow glow.

"Told you." Claire said. "Lock-On makes sure the next attack hits its mark, no matter what. Double Team's useless against it."

Ash didn't say anything. He and Pikachu were too busy staring at Glalie. It was still floating, of course, thanks to the arena, but its eyes were swirly and it wasn't moving.

"Glalie is unable to battle!" Alex declared as Ash recalled Glalie and its picture went dark. "Victory for this round goes to Porygon-Z!"

"_Z."_ Porygon-Z said, its wing-ovals spinning and orbiting around its body happily.

"So, Ash," Michael smirked. "What're ya gonna do now?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Ash has lost his best chance on this arena. Does he have it in him to make a comeback? He'd better, or I'll definitely lose some credibility on such a disappointing ending. Find out in the next chapter of "_The Ultimate Battle_"!_

(Much shorter than your opening statement. SHORT, SWEET, AND TO THE POINT. Just how I like it. 'TIL THE NEXT CHAPTER, READERS!)


	5. A Pokemon's Pain

(I'm back, AND THIS CHAPTER'S WORTH THE WAIT. Now, let's let the Narrator recap last chapter's events so we can get started.)

_In our last chapter, Claire faced Team Rocket, and managed to not only save all the gym's Pokemon, but send Team Rocket blasting off! Soon after, Ash managed to uncover the identity of the mysterious Sniper, and then began a battle against Porygon-Z on the zero-gravity arena, and lost Glalie almost instantly! Can Ash still win this? Let's find out._

(Great work. NOW LET'S GET THIS CHAPTER UNDERWAY!)

The Ultimate Battle

Chapter Five: A Pokemon's Pain

"C'mon, Ash!" May cheered. "You can beat that thing!"

"Not likely." Claire said. "Porygon-Z are often used for space exploration since zero-gravity has no effect on them. In this arena, it's at its strongest."

"We'll see." Ash said in a tone of pure determination as he placed another Pokeball in the harness. The Pokemon was released and the Pokeball was ejected back to Ash. "I choose Donphan!" he said, gesturing toward the Armor Pokemon currently in the arena.

Michael shrugged. "Eh, it's your funeral." He said.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Max yelled.

"You'll see soon enough." Michael replied.

"This round will be Donphan vs. Porygon-Z on the zero-gravity arena." Alex announced as the background of Donphan's picture lit up. "Let the battle begin!"

"Donphan, use Take Down!" Ash shouted.

"_Dondon."_ Donphan replied. It moved its feet, trying to sprint forward, but just kept floating and rotating in place. It looked highly distressed. Michael, Claire, Alex, Raichu, and even Porygon-Z seemed to sweatdrop at the sight of this.

"What's wrong with Donphan?" May asked, concerned.

"Zero-gravity makes things particularly stressful for Ground- and Flying-types." Michael explained. "They can't tell up from down, which leaves them very confused."

"Then try a Hyper Beam, Donphan!" Ash commanded.

"_Don."_ Donphan said with a nod. As its random rotation allowed it to face Porygon-Z momentarily, Donphan opened its mouth and fired a thin, yellow-orange beam.

"Dodge it." Michael said nonchalantly.

"_Z." _Porygon-Z said, lazily moving upward as Donphan continued to rotate down, the beam moving with it.

"Nice work." Michael said. "Now use Lock-On!"

"_Po-ry-gon." _The Virtual Pokemon said as it once again located and placed a target on its slowly moving opponent in its mind's eye.

"Now hit it with Solarbeam!" Michael commanded.

"_Po-ry-gon-Z." _Porygon-Z said, its body staying put as its head rotated to follow Donphan's movements. A ball of green energy began to form over the bump on top of Porygon-Z's head.

"Hold on." Max said. "How can it be using Solarbeam? We're underground!"

"There may not be any sun," Brock explained. "But the bright lights on the ceiling work just as well."

"Exactly." Michael agreed. "All right, Porygon-Z," he said, returning to the battle. "Fire away!"

"_Po-ry-gon-Z."_ it said as it fired a beam from the energy orb directly at Donphan.

"Donphan can't dodge," Ash said. "But it can still defend. Donphan," he called. "Use Defense Curl!"

Donphan nodded and curled up just as the Solarbeam hit. Even in Donphan's defensive state, though, the attack still did massive damage as it sent Donphan back into a wall. Donphan bounced off and collided with another wall, then bounced off and hit another, and another.

"What's going on?" May asked.

"Without gravity, there's nothing to slow Donphan down." Claire explained. "It'll just keep bouncing around and around until an outside force acts upon it strongly enough."

"_I've gotta find a way to stop Donphan!" _Ash thought as he watched Donphan bounce around. _"Wait," _he realized. _"Maybe I don't!"_

"Donphan," he shouted. "Keep going with Rollout!"

"_Dondon!"_ Ash could hear Donphan say as it began to spin faster as it moved, making it look even more like a wheel than before. It ricocheted off the wall and into the next one, then bounced off the next one even faster, and the next one even faster than that. Everyone watched as Donphan continued to bounce and pick up speed.

"Perfect!" Brock observed. "Now Donphan's got some control over its movement, and since Rollout gains more and more momentum the longer it's used, Donphan'll just keep getting faster."

"Plus it's going too fast for Lock-On," Max added. "And Conversion 2 is useless against an attack this strong!"

Porygon-Z's head literally swiveled in every possible direction, watching Donphan as it continued to pick up speed. _"Z-Z-Z-Z-Z!"_ it exclaimed, its head and "wings" popping outward in an anime-style expression of shock just before Donphan hit it and uncurled, hitting a wall and stopping its speedy movements with its less streamlined shape.

Porygon-Z, meanwhile, was still floating, all right, but on its back, clearly unconscious.

"Porygon-Z is unable to battle!" Alex declared as the picture of the Virtual Pokemon went dark. "Victory for this round goes to Donphan!"

May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu cheered as Ash and Michael recalled their Pokemon, the background of Donphan's picture going dark as they did.

"Clever move, Ash." Michael laughed. "Using the power of Porygon-Z's attack against it." He sighed. "How often we give our opponents the very tool with which they defeat us. Well," he said, perking up. "Time to set up the next battlefield."

Michael hit several more buttons on his podium. The walls and ceiling slid back into the floor and were replaced by the original arena.

"It's just a regular battlefield?" Ash summarized.

"Kind of a letdown after the last four." Brock commented.

"True," Michael agreed. "That's why I'm setting a special rule."

"Will both trainers please report to me?" Alex requested. Michael and Raichu hopped down instantly, while Ash and Pikachu stared at her for a moment before climbing down.

"So, what's this special rule?" Ash asked.

"Intense." Michael said with a smile, his Raichu nodding in agreement.

"Here," Alex said, handing them each a metal collar with flashing colored lights (red for Michael, blue for Ash). "Put these on."

"Why?" Ash asked, holding it up.

"It's one of my greatest tests." Michael explained. "You see, in this round, the trainer feels all the pain the Pokemon feels."

"What!?" Ash, May, Max, and Brock exclaimed.

"No human could last feeling what a Pokemon does in battle!" Brock argued. "They aren't built for it!"

"You're right, Brock." Michael said. "Humans _do_ have a much lower threshold of pain than Pokemon. Let me clarify: The trainer feels pain _proportionate_ to what their Pokemon feels."

"I still don't get it." Ash said.

"Let me explain." Alex said. "You see, after you put on these collars, every time you select a new Pokemon, one of _these_ will be affixed to it." She explained, pulling out two small computer chips with flashing lights matching the collars.

"What're those?" Ash asked nervously.

"These chips, once attached, cannot be broken or removed by anything other than me or a Pokeball's recall mechanism, and will synchronize with a Pokemon's brain waves." She elaborated. "When the Pokemon feels pain, the chip will transmit a signal to the collar, which will deliver an electric shock with a voltage corresponding to the amount of pain the Pokemon feels."

"In other words," Michael simplified. "When the Pokemon feels pain, you get shocked. The more pain it feels, the higher the voltage."

"That's barbaric!" Brock shouted.

"Is it?" Michael asked. "I think it's the perfect way to show a trainer why they should do all they can to protect their Pokemon in battle. Besides," he added. "It's not like the shocks can cause permanent injury, or, heaven forbid, kill. Not humans or Pokemon, anyway."

"And to even the odds," Alex said. "Michael's voltage will be higher than Ash's, and when a trainer's Pokemon faints, the trainer will be fully healed for the next round. If a trainer simply switches Pokemon, though, they will not be healed."

"Healed by what?" May asked.

"Allow me to answer that." Claire replied as she tossed a Pokeball from her belt, causing yet another new Pokemon to appear. This one looked a lot like Chansey, but bigger and with lots of curls, fringes, and feathers all over its body.

May held up her Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon. **"Blissey,"** it said. **"The Happiness Pokemon. It is said that anyone who eats its egg temporarily becomes kind and polite to everyone."**

"A Blissey?" Max repeated, sounding surprised.

"All Joy women start with a fully-trained nurse Chansey." Claire explained. "What they do with it is up to them. Now, Blissey," she instructed. "You know what to do."

"_Blissey."_ It said with a nod as it ran over next to Alex.

"Now that we've answered that," Michael said. "I have one more rule: If a trainer takes off their collar or passes out, they automatically forfeit."

"That's two rules." Max stated.

"It's a two-parter." Michael sighed, rolling his eyes. "Anyway," he continued, turning to Ash. "Do you understand the conditions?" Ash nodded. "Good. Do you accept?"

Ash paused for a moment. "Yes." He finally said.

"Okay." Michael said. "Also, I'm legally required to ask: Do you have a pacemaker?"

"No." Ash said.

"All right," Alex said. "You may return to your podiums."

Ash and Michael nodded and quickly obeyed, with Pikachu and Raichu following suit.

"Put on your collars." Alex said.

Michael nodded and snapped the collar open, then placed it around his neck and snapped it shut. Ash mimicked this action and yelped in shock when he was done. "Yikes!" he yelled.

"What?" Michael asked urgently. "Is it faulty? Did it shock you?"

"It's...cold!" Ash exclaimed, causing everyone to do an anime fall.

"This might be over quicker than I thought." Claire said, sweatdropping.

"Maybe." Michael said. "Now, one last thing before we start: Raichu, you know what to do."

"_Rai."_ Raichu said, squeezing its cheeks and delivering a quick, weak Thunderbolt to its own trainer.

"What was _that_ for?" Ash exclaimed.

"I always have Raichu do that before I start this kind of match." Michael explained. "It gets my body used to the shocks, so the sheer surprise won't finish me off. You might want to do it yourself."

"Good idea." Ash said. "Pikachu, let me have it!"

"_Chu?"_ Pikachu asked, confused.

"Don't worry," he assured. "I can take it."

Pikachu sighed and squeezed its cheeks, hitting Ash with a more powerful attack than intended.

"Okay," Ash said, twitching slightly. "I'm ready."

"Then it's time to choose our Pokemon." Michael announced. "Easy for me. Pokeball, go!"

Michael tossed another Pokeball into the arena and another Pokemon appeared. This one looked like a tall, blue, muscular alligator (or possibly a crocodile) standing on two legs with a red fringe going down its back. It was baring its teeth (which were enormous, by the way) and it had a highly fierce expression on its face.

"I choose Feraligatr!" he announced.

Ash took out his Pokedex to size up his opponent. **"Feraligatr,"** it said. **"The Big Jaw Pokemon. Its sharp teeth are aligned perfectly. Once this Pokemon bites down on its opponent, it is 100 percent impossible to escape against Feraligatr's will."**

"This isn't good." Brock said. "Feraligatr is definitely _not_ the kind of Pokemon you wanna face in this kind of match."

"Or anywhere, really." May added, looking a little scared.

"Select your Pokemon, Ash." Michael said.

"Okay," Ash replied, pulling out a Pokeball. "I choose Donphan!"

Ash tossed the Pokeball into the arena and the Armor Pokemon reappeared in a flash of light.

"Donphan?" Max repeated. "Why would Ash choose a Ground-type against a Water-type?"

"I'll bet he's counting on Donphan's tough hide to protect him." Brock told him.

"This round will be Donphan vs. Feraligatr with the condition of shared pain!" Alex announced as Feraligatr's picture appeared and Donphan's picture's background lit up as Blissey grabbed the chips from Alex, ran out, and placed the chips on the Pokemon's foreheads before returning to Claire's side. "Let the battle begin!"

"Donphan," Ash commanded. "Use Rollout!"

"_Don, don."_ Donphan said, curling up and rolling toward Feraligatr.

"Feraligatr, use Dragon Claw!" Michael ordered.

"_Ga-tr."_ Feraligatr growled. Its clawed hand began to glow as it swiped low at Donphan and knocked it into the air, snapping it out of the Rollout cycle.

"Now finish it with Hydro Pump!" Michael yelled.

"_Feraligatr."_ Feraligatr said before opening its mouth and firing a massive stream of water, striking Donphan square in the stomach!

Donphan howled, and Ash did, too, as the collar ran a powerful current through his body. It wasn't the high voltage that hurt, though. He had taken worse from Pikachu. This just felt so…unfamiliar.

Ash clung to the podium to avoid falling over until the pain finally stopped and Donphan slumped over, unconscious.

"Donphan is unable to battle!" Alex announced. "Victory for this round goes to Feraligatr!"

"You okay, Ash?" Michael asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Ash said, pulling himself up and recalling Donphan, the chip falling to the floor as Donphan's picture went dark. "I'm okay."

"Then the match will continue!" Alex announced.

"Blissey," Claire said. "Help Ash out."

"_Blissey."_ Blissey said cheerfully, climbing up onto Ash's podium. The egg in its pouch glowed for a minute before Blissey pulled it out, cracked it open and handed it to Ash.

"What's this?" Ash asked, carefully taking the egg.

"Blissey's Softboiled." Claire explained. "Drink it. It'll heal you." Seeing the look on his face, she added "What the Pokedex said only applies to _undiluted_ eggs. This is totally safe."

Ash nodded and took a sip. It tasted delicious, very rich, sweet, and creamy. He drank the whole thing and stood up, fully rejuvenated before Blissey took the shell, magically repaired it, and placed it back in its pouch.

"Ready for the next round, Ash?" Michael asked.

"Ready!" Ash exclaimed, Pikachu cheering him on.

"Then choose your next Pokemon." Michael said.

Ash pulled out a Pokeball and tossed it into the arena. "I choose Sceptile!" he said as Sceptile appeared, leaning on one leg.

"This round will be Sceptile vs. Feraligatr with the condition of shared pain!" Alex declared as Sceptile's picture's background lit up and Blissey climbed down, grabbed the chip, affixed it to Sceptile's head and returned to Claire's side. "Let the battle begin!"

"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" Michael ordered.

Feraligatr nodded and fired a stream of water at Sceptile.

"Sceptile, dodge it!" Ash yelled.

"_Sceptile."_ Sceptile said with a nod, pressing off with one leg and leaping to the side. When it landed, though, a slight shock went through Ash's body.

"What was that?" Ash asked, shaking his head furiously.

"Sceptile's leg was injured in the battle with Sniper, Ash." Brock reminded. "Dodging attacks will only hurt it more."

"Exactly," Claire agreed. "And now its best chance (its speed) is useless."

"Recall Sceptile, Ash." Michael requested. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

Ash ignored him. "Sceptile," he ordered. "Use Bullet Seed!"

"_Sceptile."_ It said, opening its mouth and firing a barrage of seeds at Feraligatr. _"Scep, tile-tile-tile!"_

"Feraligatr, defend with Dragon Claw!" Michael shouted.

"_Gatr."_ Feraligatr said as it raised the now-glowing claw and batted the seeds away with minimal effort.

"Now use Hydro Pump!" Michael ordered.

"Feraligatr." It said as it fired another blast of water at its opponent.

"Dodge it, Sceptile!" Ash ordered.

Ash felt another shock as Sceptile leapt aside and landed on its bad leg.

"Switch out, Ash!" May implored. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"No!" Ash shouted. "If Sceptile can take it, so can I!"

"That's the spirit!" Michael cheered. "But the question is: _Can _Sceptile take it? It'll never get close to Feraligatr on _that_ leg, and its long-range attack is just too weak. What can it do?"

"Use a stronger attack." Ash said with a smirk. "Sceptile, use Solarbeam!"

"_Sceptile."_ Sceptile said as it stood erect. The yellow knobs on its back glowed, harvesting light as a green ball of energy appeared in Sceptile's mouth.

"Solarbeam?" Michael repeated. "That _would_ be powerful enough. Too bad it takes time to charge up. Feraligatr," he ordered. "Hit it with Hydro Pump!"

"_Feraligatr."_ It said, aiming another stream at Sceptile.

"Use your tail to jump!" Ash shouted.

Sceptile nodded and slammed its tail against the ground, pushing it high into the air.

"Follow it, Feraligatr!" Michael commanded.

Feraligatr nodded and turned its head up, the Hydro Pump right on course to hit Sceptile.

Luckily, the lights were brighter near the ceiling, allowing Sceptile to finish the Solarbeam sooner. _"Sceptile."_ It said, launching the attack, which began to plow through the Hydro Pump.

"Switch to Hydro Cannon!" Michael ordered. "And hurry!"

"_Gatr."_ His Pokemon agreed. The water shooting from its mouth disappeared. In its place, a deep blue ball of energy appeared in Feraligatr's mouth.

"What's that?" May asked, holding up her Pokedex.

"**Hydro Cannon,"** it said. **"This move it widely believed to be the most powerful Water-type attack. The Pokemon concentrates its energy into a single attack and fires it at the opponent, leaving its energy drained moments afterward. There have been less than 200 recorded instances of a Pokemon learning this attack."**

"Now, fire!" Michael shouted, pointing at Sceptile.

"_Feraligatr."_ The Big Jaw Pokemon replied, firing an indigo beam from the orb directly at Sceptile. The two beams collided in midair, but within a second the Hydro Cannon plowed through the Solarbeam and hit Sceptile square in the face.

Ash screamed in agony as the collar sent him pain the likes of which he'd never felt, and it got even worse when Sceptile hit the floor and passed out. Ash closed his eyes and fell over when the pain finally subsided.

"Sceptile is unable to battle!" Alex announced as Sceptile's picture went dark. "Victory for this round goes to Feraligatr!"

Claire, Blissey, Raichu, and Feraligatr cheered, while everyone else just stared at Ash. He was slumped over, breathing, but not moving.

"He's out, Alex." Michael said, shaking his head.

"Ash is unable to continue." She sighed. "Victory goes to—."

"No!" Ash yelled, Pikachu grabbing him as he struggled to stand up. "I won't give up! I've come this far, and I won't stop now! I'll beat you, Michael, and earn that badge!"

"Now _that's _more like it!" Michael said. "Okay, Blissey, help him out."

As Ash recalled Sceptile (the chip falling to the floor again), Blissey scrambled up to his podium and presented him with another Softboiled. Ash gulped it down eagerly and stood tall.

"Ready for the next round, Ash?" Michael asked when he was finished.

"Definitely!" Ash said, staring at Michael.

"Then select your Pokemon." He replied.

Ash smirked and tossed another Pokeball into the arena, causing yet another Pokemon to appear. This one was a tall, orange, dragon-like Pokemon that's already appeared in this fic.

"_Good thing I still had its Pokeball."_ Ash thought.

"I choose Charizard!" he announced, Charizard roaring in agreement.

"This round will be Charizard vs. Feraligatr with the condition of shared pain!" Alex declared as Blissey ran down, placed the chip on Charizard's forehead, and rushed back to Claire's side. "Let the battle begin!"

"Feraligatr, start this off with Hydro Pump!" Michael ordered.

"_Feraligatr."_ It replied, shooting a jet of water at Charizard.

"Charizard, fly up and dodge it!" Ash yelled.

Charizard grunted in response, spread out its wings, and lifted itself high into the air, avoiding the attack.

"Follow it, Feraligatr!" Michael shouted.

Feraligatr nodded and turned upward, aiming the Hydro Pump up again.

"Charizard," Ash cried. "Try to cancel it out with Flamethrower!"

Charizard opened its mouth and shot a wave of fire at the oncoming attack. The Hydro Pump collided with it, but didn't slow down. It simply continued through the Flamethrower and struck Charizard in the face, causing Charizard to be blown back through the air as the collar sent another current through Ash's body.

"Charizard, spread out your wings!" Ash yelled, cringing from the pain.

Charizard nodded and opened its wings, creating drag and regaining control of its flight pattern.

"Nice move, Ash!" Brock cheered.

"You can do it!" May said.

"Now," Ash commanded. "Show Feraligatr your Dragon Rage!"

Charizard roared and opened its mouth as an orange ball of energy appeared within it. Finally, when it was the size of a softball, Charizard fired the attack at its opponent.

"Dragon Rage, huh?" Michael repeated. "Interesting, but it won't work. Feraligatr," he shouted. "Counterattack with Dragon Claw!"

As the attack neared, Feraligatr's claw began to glow again. Just as the energy ball was about to collide, Feraligatr raised its claw and batted it aside like a kitten with a ball of twine, though considerably less playfully.

"Now, Feraligatr," Michael commanded. "Go on the offensive with Hydro Pump!"

"_Gatr."_ Feraligatr said confidently, firing another stream.

"_If Charizard gets close enough, it can beat Feraligatr." _Ash realized. _"But that Hydro Pump is too dangerous to get near, and Flamethrower isn't strong enough to get through it! Guess I've got only one chance!"_

"Charizard, counter with Overheat!" Ash commanded.

Charizard grunted in response. As the Hydro Pump neared, Charizard opened its mouth and released another wave of fire, this one bigger and more wide-spread than the Flamethrower, which collided with the Hydro Pump and easily overpowered it and continued onward toward Feraligatr to deliver serious damage!

Feraligatr roared and Michael cringed as a powerful shock went through his body.

"Nice move, Ash!" Michael said, shaking it off. "But it won't work again!"

"It doesn't have to!" Ash countered. "Now's your chance, Charizard!" Ash yelled. "Fly in and grab Feraligatr!"

Charizard grunted and swooped down toward Feraligatr with its arms out.

"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump, now!" Michael ordered.

"_Feraligatr!"_ Feraligatr roared, sounding very angry as it shot another Hydro Pump when Charizard was about six feet away, sending the Flame Pokemon careening backwards through the air as another current coursed through Ash's body.

"It didn't work!" Max exclaimed, stating the obvious.

"Charizard'll never win if it can't get close to Feraligatr!" Brock said.

"That's Mikey's whole plan." Claire said with a smirk. "When in this type of battle, he protects his Pokemon as fully as possible. Feeling the Pokemon's pain is pretty good incentive to avoid unnecessary damage."

"Exactly," Michael agreed as Charizard spread its wings and came to a halt. "And now, Feraligatr," he ordered. "Another Hydro Pump!"

"_Gatr."_ It said with a _very_ toothy grin before shooting another Hydro Pump at Charizard.

"Charizard, Overheat!" Ash yelled.

"Will that work?" May asked turning to Brock. "Overheat does get weaker every time it's used, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does." Brock replied. "But even the second time it's used it's still more powerful than Flamethrower. It probably won't do damage, but it might still protect Charizard."

Ash nodded in agreement with this statement as Charizard produced another wave of fire, considerably smaller than the last one just before the attack hit. For a second they pushed against each other, but eventually the Hydro Pump won out and hit Charizard in the face.

The collar delivered another painful shock as Charizard swerved upside-down and began hurtling toward the floor. Just as Charizard attempted to stop, though, Ash yelled "No, don't stop! Speed up!"

Charizard nodded and folded up its wings, speeding headfirst toward the floor.

"_Speeding up the fall?" _Michael analyzed. _"He's up to something. Well, it won't work!"_

"Feraligatr," he shouted. "Finish it with Hydro Pump!"

"_Feraligatr!"_ the Big Jaw Pokemon shouted, firing yet another jet of water. It didn't hit, though. Charizard was moving so fast that the attack missed by a mile!

"Follow it!" Michael ordered.

Feraligatr obeyed and turned its head toward Charizard. The attack followed it, but was always a couple of feet behind.

"Turn and head for Feraligatr!" Ash instructed as Charizard neared the ground.

Charizard grunted, spread its wings and arced off, continuing by flying belly-up toward Feraligatr less than six inches above the floor, the Hydro Pump just a foot behind it.

"Grab it and take it up!" Ash yelled.

Charizard nodded. As it came to Feraligatr, Charizard reached out and grabbed it around the knees and tail and lifted it off the floor before shooting upward, carrying Feraligatr upside-down the whole way.

"Charizard finally got in close!" May cheered.

"Now's your chance to finish it, Ash!" Brock coached.

"You heard 'em, Charizard!" Ash said with a grin. "Give Feraligatr your Seismic Toss!"

Charizard smiled and began to fly up and down in a curved, circular pattern, getting faster and faster with each rotation.

"Now toss it!" Ash ordered.

"Crunch, Feraligatr!" Michael screamed.

Just as Charizard threw Feraligatr down with all its strength, Feraligatr bit down on the middle of Charizard's tail, dragging Charizard down with it and causing both Pokemon to crash to the ground with excessive force and a layer of dust to cover the arena.

Both trainers howled in agony as the collars dealt them a level of pain beyond description.

"Who won?" Max asked.

"We'll see in a minute." Claire told him.

Sure enough, the dust quickly disappeared, and, to everyone's surprise, _both_ Pokemon were still standing, or struggling to do so at least. The shock of the impact had caused Feraligatr to release Charizard's tail, and now the two Pokemon were sprawled out on opposite sides of the arena, staring each other down. Even more surprising, both Pokemon were surrounded by a glowing aura. Charizard's was bright red, while Feraligatr's was a cool blue.

"What's happening to Charizard and Feraligatr?" May asked.

"Blaze and Torrent." Brock replied.

"Blaze and Torrent?" May echoed.

"Some Fire-type Pokemon activate the Blaze ability when pushed to their limits in battle." Alex elaborated. "It gives them one last energy boost and increases the power of their Fire-type attacks. The same goes with Water-types and Torrent."

"Right," Michael said, still twitching from the pain. "And now that our Pokemon are too exhausted to move, the power of those special attacks will decide everything. And since Feraligatr's already proven that its special attacks are stronger than Charizard's, and Charizard's already used Overheat twice, it looks like this round is mi—what, what is it?" he asked, finally noticing Raichu poking him and pointing at Charizard.

Charizard was opening its mouth wide. Inside there was a ball of energy forming. It wasn't orange, like Dragon Rage, but the purest shade of crimson.

"What's that?" Max asked, staring at Charizard.

"I don't know!" Brock replied. "I've never seen anything quite like it!"

"Charizard learned Blast Burn!" Claire exclaimed.

"Blast Burn?" Ash repeated, holding up his Pokedex.

"**Blast Burn,"** it said. **"This move is widely believed to be the most powerful Fire-type attack. The Pokemon concentrates its energy into a single attack and fires it at the opponent, leaving its energy drained moments afterward. There have been less than 200 recorded instances of a Pokemon learning this attack."**

"Amazing, Ash." Michael smirked, despite the pain. "No amount of experience is enough to learn Blast Burn. It can only be learned when a Pokemon knows it and its trainer are of one mind. You're truly a great trainer, Ash."

"Thanks," Ash responded. "But this battle's still on, and I plan to win!"

"Then I have a suggestion." Michael said. "Both of our Pokemon are down to the last of their energy. Why not use their most powerful attacks and see who comes out on top?"

"Sounds good to me!" Ash told him, Charizard and Feraligatr nodding in agreement as they stared each other down.

"All right then." Michael said. "Ready, Feraligatr?"

"_Feraligatr!"_ Feraligatr roared.

"Ready, Charizard?" Ash asked.

Charizard grunted and nodded.

"Hydro Cannon!"

"Blast Burn!"

Charizard and Feraligatr opened their mouths. A blue ball of energy formed in Feraligatr's mouth, while a red one grew in Charizard's. When the ball was big enough, Feraligatr fired a blue beam directly at Charizard. At exactly the same time, Charizard shot a red beam at Feraligatr. Both trainers were shocked by their collars (possibly from old injuries, possibly from new ones) as the attacks collided and another layer of dust erupted over the field.

Everyone held their breath and waited for the outcome as the dust faded…

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_The penultimate round is about to end! Who will come out on top? And even then, can Ash go all the way? Which Pokemon will he use? Which Pokemon will Michael use? When will I stop asking questions? Find out in the final (hey, I just answered that last question) chapter of _The Ultimate Battle

(And once again I'VE PROVEN I'M A MASTER OF CLIFFHANGERS. So, who do you think will win this round, Charizard or Feraligatr? WELL, WHATEVER YOU THINK, BE SURE TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK IN LONG, NON-FLAMEY REVIEWS. 'Til next time!)


	6. The Final Round

(Well, here we go. The final chapter. NARRATOR-DUDE, TAKE IT AWAY!)

_In our last chapter, Michael's Feraligatr proved to be a challenge for Ash, especially with the condition that both trainers wear shock collars to share their Pokemon's pain! Even after Charizard pulled out everything in its arsenal, both Pokemon were still in it. However, just when things looked hopeless, Charizard learned Blast Burn, its strongest attack yet! On Michael's suggestion, both Pokemon used their most powerful attacks in a final bout to prove superiority. Whose Pokemon will be the winner? Let's find out._

(Nice work. LET THE CHAPTER BEGIN!)

The Ultimate Battle

Chapter Six: The Final Round

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" Alex announced, _(Wow, that was quick!)_ staring at the two unconscious forms as their pictures on the scoreboard went dark. "This round is a draw! Both trainers may remove their collars."

Ash and Michael, still struggling to stand from the pain, removed their collars, held up their Pokeballs, and recalled their Pokemon as Alex went and collected the chips.

"Blissey, help them out." Claire said.

"_Blissey."_ The Happiness Pokemon replied. It ran over to Ash's podium and healed him with its Softboiled, then did the same with Michael before returning to Claire's side.

"Thanks, Blissey." Michael said once he'd fully recovered before turning to Ash. "That was incredible, Ash!" he exclaimed. "One of the best battles I've ever had! And you, you were just amazing! Your determination, your dedication, your ability to think on your feet. It was all so perfect! You're truly a gifted trainer, Ash."

"It's nothing." Ash said, he and Pikachu rubbing the back of their necks in embarrassment.

"It is _not_ nothing!" Michael yelled. "You've proven knowledge of an important fact: A Pokemon battle isn't just between two Pokemon—it's between their trainers as well. If a trainer wants to win, they have to be just as strong—no, stronger than their Pokemon. Remember that—in life, and the next round."

"What kind of battlefield will this one be on?" Ash asked.

"I was thinking…this one, without the collars." Michael told him.

"That's it?" Ash asked. "Just a regular battlefield and a regular battle?"

"I would think you'd be happy about it." Michael said, Raichu nodding in agreement. "No home-field advantages, no special conditions. Just a full-out test of a trainer's skills. Besides," he added. "I need to wind down after that last battle."

"Just a normal battle, huh?" Brock repeated. "This might be the toughest round yet."

"Whaddaya mean?" Max demanded. "All the others were tough! This one's easy!"

"It _seems_ easy," Brock corrected. "But in all those other battles, Ash used the unusual conditions to his advantage in one way or another. This time, he has to depend on pure skill."

"You're catching on." Claire told him, causing him to blush.

"Now for my Pokemon." Michael announced. "Ready, buddy?" he asked, turning to Raichu.

"_Raichu."_ It said confidently, jumping off the podium and into the arena.

"My Pokemon will be Raichu." Michael declared. "Oh, and by the way, it's no longer overcharged. What will your Pokemon be, Ash?"

Ash didn't respond. Instead, he paused for a moment and reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendant that Claire had given him. "Here," he said, placing it around Pikachu's neck. "Maybe this'll give us a fighting chance."

"_Chu?"_ it asked, cocking its head in confusion.

"Trust me." Ash whispered.

Michael, Claire, and Alex took note of this, but none of them said anything.

"Ready, Ash?" Michael queried.

"Yeah," Ash declared. "I choose Pikachu!"

"_Pika!"_ Pikachu said, jumping into the arena and staring down Raichu.

"So," Brock commented. "Ash is having a rematch."

"But what's that thing around its neck?" May asked, scanning it with her Pokedex.

"**Light Ball,"** the Pokedex said, displaying a picture of the pendant. **"This amulet, when worn, can double the power of a Pikachu's special attacks."**

"A Light Ball!?" Max exclaimed. "Where'd Ash get one of those?"

Claire blushed, but stayed silent.

"Well," Michael said. "There's certainly no rule against using items to increase a Pokemon's power. If you want to use it, be my guest."

"The final round will be Pikachu vs. Raichu!" Alex announced as the images of Pikachu and Raichu appeared on the scoreboard in the last boxes under the pictures of their trainers. "Let the match begin!"

"Raichu," Michael yelled. "Start off with Thunderbolt!"

"_Rai."_ Raichu said, squeezing its cheeks and sending a blue blast of electricity at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, dodge and use _your_ Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

"_Pika."_ Pikachu replied, jumping aside and squeezing its cheeks to send a yellow blast at Raichu. Pikachu's attack hit and left Raichu slightly charred.

"Wow!" Max said. "That did a lot more damage than last time!"

"That Light Ball really works!" May agreed. "Pikachu's stronger than ever!"

"This match will be a lot closer than the last one." Brock said with a nod.

"Just because Pikachu's attacks are stronger doesn't mean it's better at defending!" Michael said. "Raichu, give it another Thunderbolt!"

Raichu nodded, squeezed its cheeks, and sent another blue blast at Pikachu.

"Jump and use Iron Tail!" Ash said.

Pikachu leapt into the air, avoided the blast, and somersaulted forward, its tail glowing white as it attempted to slam it into Raichu.

"Raichu, counter with _your_ Iron Tail!" Michael shouted.

"_Raichu."_ Raichu responded, the lightning bolt shape on its tail glowing white.

As Pikachu came down toward Raichu, Pikachu raised its tail and blocked Pikachu's. For a second, the tails pressed against each other, but Raichu quickly won out, knocking Pikachu to the ground and sending it skidding back on all fours.

"Quick Attack, Raichu!" Michael commanded.

"_Rai, rai."_ Raichu said as it sprinted toward Pikachu on all fours at a high speed, leaving a white streak of light behind it.

"Pikachu," Ash yelled. "Dodge and use Thunderbolt!"

"_Pika!"_ it said, jumping aside and sending another yellow blast of electricity at its opponent, leaving Raichu more charred than before.

"Ash is really fighting hard." Brock commented.

"Having Pikachu wear that Light Ball seems to be raising his confidence." Claire said, taking note of what she saw.

"Not bad, Ash," Michael commented. "But an impressive lead won't win you the match."

"You've certainly proven that." Alex said, rolling her eyes.

"Ignoring that." Michael said as he turned back to the battle. "Raichu, enough playing around! Hit it with a full-on Volt Tackle!"

Raichu nodded and once again sprinted toward Pikachu on all fours, this time surrounded by a glowing blue aura.

"Pikachu," Ash said confidently. "Meet it head-on with _your_ Volt Tackle!"

"_Chu!" _Pikachu said, rushing straight at Raichu as it was enveloped in a yellow aura.

The two Pokemon collided in the center of the arena, and to Ash's surprise, Raichu easily overpowered Pikachu, knocking it back and dealing massive damage as both their auras faded.

"What happened?" Ash asked. "I thought the Light Ball increased the power of Pikachu's Electric-type attacks!"

"It increases the power of its _special_ attacks." Michael corrected. "Volt Tackle is a physical attack, where Raichu still has the upper hand."

"Then I'll just have to win without it!" Ash declared. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu nodded and sent another yellow wave of electricity at Raichu.

"Dodge and counter with Quick Attack!" Michael ordered.

"_Raichu."_ Raichu smirked as it quickly dodged the Thunderbolt and ran toward Pikachu and rammed into it. Pikachu looked shaken, but stood its ground.

"Finish it with Thunder!" Michael shouted.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Ash yelled.

Both Pokemon squeezed their cheeks and sent huge blasts of electricity (blue from Raichu, yellow from Pikachu) at each other. The attacks collided in a beautiful display, and forced up against each other. After a minute, though, the yellow Thunder gained dominance and plowed through the blue, zapping Raichu for an enormous amount of damage.

"_Rai."_ Raichu said, falling backwards and landing (fully conscious) on its back in front of Pikachu.

"Awesome!" Max cheered. "Pikachu's special attacks are even stronger than Raichu's!"

"Thanks to that Light Ball, Ash is one attack away from winning!" Brock grinned.

"_Yeah,"_ Ash thought, staring at Pikachu. _"Thanks to the Light Ball."_

"Time out!" he yelled, putting his hands together in a "T".

Everyone turned to Ash and stared at him in surprise.

"Any particular reason for this, Ash?" Michael inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"It'll just take a second." Ash said as he climbed off the podium and ran onto the battlefield next to Pikachu. Slowly, he reached down and pulled off the Light Ball.

"What's Ash doing?" May asked. "He was about to win!"

"_Chu?"_ Pikachu asked, confused.

"I don't want to win this way." Ash explained. "You can win without this, can't you, buddy?"

"_Chu!"_ Pikachu replied confidently.

"How about we start over?" Ash asked, turning to Michael. "I wanna win fair and square."

Michael shrugged. "It's okay with me if it's okay with the Pokemon." He said.

The two Pokemon nodded as Raichu jumped to its feet and stared Pikachu down.

"Ready, buddy?" Ash asked.

"_Pika!"_ Pikachu replied.

"All set, pal?" Michael inquired.

"_Rai!"_ Raichu answered.

"The final round of Pikachu vs. Raichu has been reset!" Alex declared. "Let the battle continue!"

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Michael ordered.

"_Raichu." _Raichu smirked as it squeezed its cheeks and sent another blue blast of electricity at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use _your_ Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

"_Pika!"_ Pikachu exclaimed as it mimicked Raichu and sent out another yellow blast, though considerably smaller than the last few.

The attacks collided, but this time the blue won out and Pikachu was badly shocked.

"Now that the Light Ball's gone, Ash, Raichu's special attacks are much stronger than Pikachu's." Michael told him. "Looks like you'll have to find another way to win."

Ash growled in response to this. "Pikachu," he yelled. "Use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu nodded and rushed full-speed ahead toward Raichu and rammed into it. Surprisingly, it didn't do much damage.

"What the—?" Ash gaped.

"Speed-based attacks don't work as well on larger opponents." Michael told him.

"Then use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted.

"_Pika."_ Pikachu said as it leapt up and somersaulted toward Raichu, its tail glowing white as it did.

"Raichu, Iron Tail!" Michael said.

Raichu smiled, the lightning bolt on its tail glowing white as it raised it and hit Pikachu, knocking it back several feet.

"Raichu's tail is longer and more flexible than Pikachu's, Ash." Michael lectured. "It doesn't have to pull off such easily disrupted moves."

"This is bad." Brock said. "Everything Pikachu does, Raichu can do better."

"_Pikachu's gotta have _some _advantage!"_ Ash thought desperately. _"Come on, think! What's different about them?"_

"That's it!" he exclaimed. "Use Thunderbolt!"

"_Chu!" _Pikachu said as it sent another yellow blast at Raichu. The blast hit dead-on, but Raichu didn't seem to show any sign of damage.

"Raichu, show it a _real_ Thunderbolt!" Michael laughed.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash shouted.

Just as Raichu began squeezing its cheeks, Pikachu ran at it and rammed it in the stomach, halting the attack.

"Raichu, Iron Tail!" Michael yelled.

"Pikachu, jump back and use Thunderbolt!" Ash instructed.

As Raichu attempted to swipe Pikachu with its glowing, Pikachu leapt up and back and shot another yellow Thunderbolt at Raichu, which once again appeared to do no damage.

"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Michael ordered.

"Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

Once again, Pikachu rushed forward and rammed Raichu before it could launch the attack, this time jumping back afterward.

"What's Ash doing?" Max asked. "He isn't making any sense!"

"It looks like a hit-and-run strategy." Brock told him. "Launching attacks quickly and avoiding the opponent's."

"Too bad a hit-and-run strategy only works when you can do some decent damage." Claire said. "As it is, Pikachu's using up more energy than it's taking from Raichu."

"Claire's right, Ash." Michael smirked. "Now, Raichu," he commanded. "Use Quick Attack!"

"_Raichu." _Raichu smiled as it sprinted at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, jump back and use Thunder!" Ash shouted.

"_Pika!" _Pikachu said as it jumped above Raichu. _"PI-KA-CHU!"_ it shouted, squeezing its cheeks and sending a large, yellow electric blast at the now-stationary Raichu. Raichu took the attack, but still showed only minimal signs of damage.

"Even Thunder's not doing much!" May said as Pikachu landed on all fours on the side of the arena opposite Raichu.

"Not good!" Max worried.

"Raichu, time to end this battle, once and for all!" Michael ordered. "Use Thunder!"

"_Rai…CHU!" _Raichu shouted, squeezing its cheeks.

Then, something unusual happened. Raichu produced a huge, blue blast of electricity, like usual, but this time it didn't move toward Pikachu. It stayed in place, enveloping and shocking Raichu.

"_Rairai!"_ it screamed, crying in pain.

When the light faded, Raichu looked like it had taken a lot of damage!

"It shocked _itself_!?" May exclaimed.

"That happens when Raichu's overcharged." Ash said with a smile.

"Overcharged?" Michael repeated, his eyes going wide. "Of course!" he realized. "All those Electric attacks, and stopping Raichu from using any of its own. It all makes sense now! You were forcing Raichu to keep building up electricity until this happened!"

"Yeah," Ash smirked. "And with nowhere in this arena to stick its tail and discharge electricity, Raichu's Electric attacks'll just hurt itself!"

"That means Raichu can't use any of its best attacks!" Brock summarized.

"Way to go, Ash!" May and Max cheered.

"And Pikachu's still got some energy left." Ash said. "What was it you told me? 'Volt Tackle's an awesome move, but only when used correctly'? Well, now that Raichu can't counter with any of its best attacks, I think I'm about to. Pikachu, win this with Volt Tackle!"

"_Pika."_ It nodded. Once again, Pikachu ran towards Raichu, its body surrounded by a yellow aura as it prepared to finish Raichu off. _"Pikapikapikapikachu!"_

"Nice strategy, Ash," Michael laughed. "But there's one flaw: Not all of Raichu's attacks use electricity. Now," he said, turning to Raichu. "Use the attack that proves our closeness! Use Return!"

"Return!?" Brock repeated. "That attack gets more powerful the closer the Pokemon using it feels to its trainer!"

"And Mikey's relationship with Raichu is almost unparalleled!" Claire added with a smile, her Blissey nodding in agreement.

"It's true." Michael agreed. "But don't take her word for it. Let Raichu prove it!"

"_Rai."_ Raichu said with a grin. It got down on all fours and charged at Pikachu once more. Its body was again enveloped by an aura, but not a blue one. This aura was a shade of the purest pink. _"Rairairairaichu!"_ it yelled as it shot at Pikachu with the speed of a bullet and the force of a wrecking ball.

"Keep going!" Ash and Michael shouted. "Give it all you've got!"

The two Pokemon collided in the center of the arena, resulting in a bright flash of light that obscured all vision. When the light faded, one Pokemon fell forward, unconscious.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" Alex announced as Pikachu and Ash's pictures on the scoreboard went dark and Michael's half was fully displayed, the word "winner" written above his picture. "Victory goes to Michael and Raichu!"

"Great job, Mikey!" Claire cheered.

"He lost." Brock, May, and Max said, their heads drooping as the scoreboard went dark and he and Ash climbed down into the battlefield and walked up to their Pokemon.

"That was a great battle, Ash." Michael congratulated. "Possibly the best I've had since my best match with Claire. That strategy of overcharging Raichu was a stroke of genius!"

"Thanks," Ash sighed, scooping Pikachu into his arms. "I guess I'm not gonna get that badge, though, huh?"

"Don't be so sure." Michael grinned. "You may have passed the test. If you did, you've earned the badge, anyway."

Ash's eyes went wide. "So, did I pass?" he asked excitedly.

"What am I, a mind reader?" Michael shrugged.

"How good at it do you have to be to read your own?" May asked.

"Only the gym leader can decide if he passed." Michael said.

"You mean you're not the gym leader!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Did I ever say I was?" Michael countered, he and Raichu smiling wearing identical smiles.

Ash thought back to everything Michael had said to him. "No," he realized. "But then, who is?"

"That'd be me." Claire said, standing up and striking an elegant pose. "I'm the Taupe Town gym leader!"

"She did the paperwork." Michael said, rolling his eyes.

"And I can trump Mikey anytime." His girlfriend laughed.

"That's one opinion." He shrugged.

"Whatever," Claire sighed. "But I've still got the better win-loss record, and I'm still the leader."

"Okay," Ash said, sweatdropping. "So, did I pass?"

"Well, you certainly didn't get an 'A'." Claire said. "You totally took the bait when I gave you Mikey's Light Ball."

"I knew it!" Michael said. "I knew it as soon as you told me 'use Raichu in the final round'!"

"I always tell Mikey what to do for the final round." Claire explained. "The rest are tests of his own, and they're _always _different."

"Got it." Ash said. "So, did I pass?"

"Well," Claire sighed. "You used the Light Ball, which was the whole test."

"But I took it off!" Ash protested. "And I was about to win, too!"

"No, you weren't." Michael told him. "Raichu's tail was right under Pikachu. One Iron Tail would've sliced the Light Ball right off, and given Raichu the chance to win with a surprise attack."

"Well, I still took it off." Ash said. "And I still almost won, afterward!"

"I know." Claire said. "A good trainer knows not to rely on shortcuts or gimmicks. A _great_ trainer decides to act upon that knowledge. You did that a lot sooner than Mikey did, Ash."

"Huh?" Ash said, raising his eyebrow in confusion.

"I told you that Mikey gave back the Light Ball because he evolved his Pikachu," Claire said. "What I didn't tell you is that Mikey evolved his Pikachu _because_ of the Light Ball."

"I got sick of depending on it to win." Michael said, Raichu nodding in agreement. "Pikachu and I decided it was time for both of us to move on and evolve."

"Okay," Ash said. "But did I pass?"

"Well, you're a long shot." Claire told him. "I'd say…yeah, you did."

"I did?" Ash repeated excitedly.

"Yep," Claire said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small, metal badge. "And because of that, I now present you with the Master Badge as proof."

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed, taking the badge and staring at it. It was designed after the Master Ball: White on the bottom, purple on top, with a red "M" just above the button in the center. "I got a Master Badge!"

"_Pi, pikachu!"_ Pikachu said, having regained consciousness a minute ago.

"I'll bet you can't wait to use it, huh?" Claire asked.

Ash paused and stared at the badge again.

"Actually," he said after a minute. "I think I'll just stick with battling in gyms. It's more fun, anyway."

"That's good," Michael said, snatching the badge. "'Cuz this thing isn't worth the steel it's made of."

With that, he took the badge between his hands and effortlessly broke it in half!

"It's a fake!?" May exclaimed. "But Brandon said—."

"That it's a rumor." Claire finished. "A rumor that the three of us fed to Elite Four members and Frontier Brains to tell top trainers."

"Remember how I said that people usually repeat the rumor to me as soon as I ask?" Michael asked.

"Yeah." Ash said, nodding.

"It's because _I'm_ where they heard it, and I asked them to repeat it to me." He laughed. "For liability purposes, it's carefully worded so _it's_ what tells of the gym's payoff. That way, nobody can get into any legal trouble."

"But the 'testing for greatness' part is totally true, though," Claire said. "And the badge is the final test."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"The true paradox of the Master Badge, Ash, is that a trainer that's truly destined for greatness will opt to achieve without it." Claire told him.

"You're destined for great things, Ash." Michael said. "As long as you keep trying and never let anything stop you, you'll achieve your dream for sure."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_So, Ash passed every test, and truly proved he's destined for greatness. What awaits him in the future? I'm not sure, but I _am _sure that he has plenty of adventures left to come, in the World of Pokemon!_

(Not bad. BUT THE STORY WOULDN'T BE FINISHED WITHOUT THIS: )

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Team Rocket, meanwhile, were clinging to the torn basket of their wrecked balloon in the middle of the lake they had landed in.

"Well, dis is just poifect!" Meowth complained. "We're wet, we're broke, we're Pokemon-less…"

"And I thidk I caught a (AH-CHOO!) cold." James added. "Oh, by dose is all stuffed ub."

"Here, have some _nasal spray_!" Jessie said, chucking the bottle at his head.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Hang in there, Team Rocket. Your day will come. Maybe._

(Excellent work, Narrator-dude.)

_Glad you think so. Here's my bill. (hands bill to MultiplePersonas)_

((Stares at bill) I SHOULD SAY THIS IS EXPENSIVE, BUT CONSIDERING YOUR SKILLS AND CREDENTIALS, I'D SAY THAT'S A BARGAIN. I'LL PAY YOU AFTER THE CHAPTER.)

_I'll be waiting._

(Well, readers, so ends my second fic ever. WHAT WILL I DO NEXT? I'M NOT SURE. I'M THINKING A PREQUEL TO THIS, either of Paul coming to the gym or of how Michael and Claire met. What do you think? Tell me (ALONG WITH YOUR OPINION ON THIS CHAPTER) in your review. 'TIL THEN!)


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